Student Finance England - Special Support Loan

What the Special Support Loan gives you

This is a government loan for living costs from Student Finance England (SFE), the body that pays student finance in England. It works in two ways. If you are 60 or older on the first day of your first academic year, you cannot get the normal Maintenance Loan, so you get a Special Support Loan instead. For 2026/27 it is worth up to £4,582 per year (about 5,300 EUR). The amount depends on your household income. You get the full sum at an income of £25,000 or less. Above that it shrinks by £1 for every £4.16, and it stops once household income passes £43,854.

If you get certain benefits, for example as a lone parent or a person with a disability, the special support is built into a higher Maintenance Loan instead. This adds roughly £1,515 to £1,639 per year (about 1,750 to 1,900 EUR) on top. You apply once per academic year and renew each year. It is a loan, so you repay it after you finish studying and start earning above the repayment threshold.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You study a higher education course at a recognised UK university or college.
• Where you live: You normally live in England.
• Nationality: You are a UK citizen, an Irish citizen, hold settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or have another qualifying residence status.
• Course start: Your course starts on or after 1 August 2016 and before 1 January 2027.
• Income: You report your household income. For the 60+ loan you get nothing above £43,854.
• Your situation: Either you are 60 or older when your course begins, or you get a qualifying benefit. Qualifying benefits include Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or being a lone parent responsible for a child under 20 in full-time school.

How to apply

You do not send a separate application. You apply for regular student finance online at gov.uk/student-finance, and SFE checks automatically whether you qualify. If you claim on a benefit, you fill in the special-support section of the application form and attach proof. If you are 60 or over, you give your household income. Paper applications must reach SFE by 15 May 2026 to be paid at the start of term. SFE does not process applications made more than 9 months after the year begins.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an entitlement, not a competition. If you meet the age or benefit conditions plus the residence and income rules, you receive it. There is no selection panel to convince. What decides your amount is your household income and your circumstances, not how good your application looks. Apply early and send the right proof so your money arrives on time.