Student Finance England - UK Government Loans for Part-time Students (Tuition Fee Loan + Maintenance Loan)

What you get

You can borrow two UK government loans to study part time. A Tuition Fee Loan covers your course fees: up to about EUR 8,400 per year (£7,145 for 2025/26, rising to £7,335 for 2026/27), paid straight to your university. A Maintenance Loan helps with living costs like rent, food and travel. It lands in your bank account two weeks after each term starts. The amount is worked out for you personally and depends on where you live while studying, your household income and how intensive your course is. Both are loans, not grants. You repay them only after you finish or leave your course, and only once you earn more than about EUR 30,600 a year. The money comes from Student Finance England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own separate systems.

Who can apply

• Study level: You are doing a first degree (BA, BSc, BEd), a foundation degree, an HNC or HND, a Certificate or Diploma of Higher Education, teacher training, an integrated master's or an approved level 4 or 5 course.
• Course intensity: Your part-time course runs at 25% or more of the same course full time. This is measured by comparing your module credits with a full-time student's.
• Where you study: Your course is at a recognised UK university or college.
• First qualification: Usually only your first higher education qualification counts. Some STEM and health courses and HNC/HND top-ups are exceptions.
• Nationality: For both loans you need UK, Irish or settled status and to have lived in the UK for the last 3 years. Some other nationalities can get the Tuition Fee Loan only. An online checker tells you which applies to you.
• Age: There is no age limit for the Tuition Fee Loan. You cannot get the Maintenance Loan if you are 60 or over on the first day of your first year.
• Maintenance Loan extras: You cannot claim it as a distance-learning student unless a disability stops you attending in person. The list of eligible courses is also narrower than for the fee loan.

How to apply

You apply online through gov.uk/student-finance, or the Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish service if you live there. There is no fixed deadline, but apply at least 4 weeks before your course starts, and reapply each academic year. Processing takes about 4 weeks.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a rules-based entitlement, not a competition. If you meet the course, residency and age conditions, you get the loan, so there is no panel to impress. Watch two things: the 25% course intensity rule and the tighter list of courses for the Maintenance Loan. Apply early so the money is ready before term begins.