STUDENT FINANCE

Understand the funding.
Plan with confidence.

We help you understand what to check and where to apply. Student Finance England assesses your eligibility and decides what support you can receive.

THE PUBLISHED FIGURES

See the amounts.
Match your start date.

These are maximum loan amounts, not guaranteed payments. Tuition goes to your provider; maintenance helps with your living costs. Loans are repayable and interest applies.

NEW LLE COURSES STARTING FROM 1 JANUARY 2027

Maintenance LoanUp to £15,415

Per course year for 120 credits over up to 30 weeks. Amounts depend on household income, where you live and your study arrangements; fewer credits mean proportionally less support.

Tuition Fee LoanUp to £9,790

Per 120 credits. Lower limits can apply by provider and type of study. It may not cover your full course fee.

The standard total LLE tuition entitlement is currently up to £39,160 across study, affected by previous study. This is separate from maintenance and is not an annual cash payment. Some courses allow additional tuition support.

Check the official LLE amounts ↗

2026/27 · EXISTING SYSTEM · COURSES STARTING BEFORE 1 JANUARY 2027

Annual Maintenance Loan maximums

Published 2026/27 living-cost limits for eligible new full-time students
Living arrangements	Up to per academic year
Living with parents	£9,118
Living away from parents, outside London	£10,830
Living away from parents, in London	£14,135

For students aged 60 or over at the start of their first academic year, a separate maximum of £4,582 applies under this system. Household circumstances and individual assessment affect support.

Standard full-time tuition loans: up to £9,790 in 2026/27. Classroom-based foundation years, such as business: up to £5,760. Other course categories have different limits.

Check the official 2026/27 amounts ↗

Checked 19 October 2026. Maximums can change; use the official calculator for your own estimate.

Estimate your student finance

WE HELP WITH THE APPLICATION TOO

We handle the paperwork.
You have support throughout.

Campus Bridge helps prepare, complete and submit your student loan application with you, and guides you through any follow-up. Our application assistance is free.

01 · Share your information

We explain the information needed for your application and help you organise it.

02 · We help prepare and submit

We work through the application with you and help with the next steps. Where you authorise contact with Student Finance, we use the permission process it accepts.

03 · You review and approve

You confirm your details, complete any identity checks and make your own declarations. Student Finance decides your funding and may ask you for further information.

You do not need to navigate the process alone. Keep your account login private. Consent to share lets Student Finance discuss your account with an authorised adviser; it does not transfer your responsibility for the application.

Read how adviser permission works ↗

Get help with my loan application

Your course start date matters.

Funding rules are changing for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. The new Lifelong Learning Entitlement has different rules, including an age limit for tuition fee loans. Choose the guidance that matches your start date.

Tuition Fee Loan

Helps with eligible course fees and is paid to your university, college or training provider. Check the fee for each year and whether the available loan covers it.

A foundation year can have a different fee and loan limit from the degree years.

Maintenance Loan

Helps with living costs such as travel, food and accommodation. The amount depends on your circumstances and the rules for your course.

It may cover only part of your living costs, so prepare a realistic budget.

Grants and other support

Additional help may be available for eligible students with children, disabilities or other particular circumstances. Some providers also offer bursaries or hardship support.

Each scheme has its own conditions.

Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans are repayable borrowing. They are separate from Campus Bridge’s free application guidance.

TWO FUNDING SYSTEMS

Start with
the right guidance.

These are general explanations for learners whose home is in England. Confirm your own position using the official guidance.

COURSES STARTING BEFORE 1 JANUARY 2027

Existing student finance rules

Eligibility depends on the course and provider, your previous higher education study, age, nationality and residence history.

Under this system, Tuition Fee Loans have no upper age limit. Maintenance Loan support is limited for students aged 60 or over at the start of their first academic year.

For standard full-time maintenance support, where you live while studying and your household income usually affect the amount.

Read existing funding rules

COURSES STARTING ON OR AFTER 1 JANUARY 2027

Lifelong Learning Entitlement

Most new undergraduate courses will use the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, or LLE. Your course, credits, previous study and remaining entitlement affect the funding available.

You must be under 60 on the first day of your course to apply for an LLE Tuition Fee Loan. People aged 60 or over may be able to apply for limited help with living costs; check the official rules for your circumstances.

Residence, household circumstances, course intensity and attendance also matter. Funding approval is individual.

Read the new LLE rules

Our service age range is 18–65.

That describes the people Campus Bridge supports. It does not mean everyone in that range qualifies for the same funding. If you are 60 or over, we will help you identify the questions to resolve before you commit to a course.

YOUR ELIGIBILITY

Five things
to check early.

British citizenship, settled status or indefinite leave to remain is one part of the assessment. It does not by itself confirm funding.

Where you normally live. Check the home-in-England and residence-history rules that apply to you.
Your course and provider. Confirm that the exact route qualifies, including any foundation year or top-up.
Your previous study. Tell Student Finance about earlier higher education, including unfinished or self-funded study.
Your age and start date. These affect which funding rules apply.
Your household and study arrangements. Income, living arrangements, credits and the course format can affect support.

Build a budget around your own circumstances.

A headline funding figure cannot tell you what you will receive. Use the official calculator, then allow for transport, equipment, childcare and time away from paid work.

Check whether the course is classified as in-person or distance learning. Fully online study has different Maintenance Loan restrictions.

Use the official finance calculator

Keep your Student Finance account password and security details private. You remain responsible for the accuracy of your application.

LOANS, EXPLAINED SIMPLY

Support while studying.
Repayments based on income.

Maintenance support is borrowing for living costs while you study. It is not a wage, a payment for enrolling, or a guarantee of extra income.

Plan 5: the current threshold

As checked on 19 October 2026, Plan 5 repayments are 9% of income above £25,000 a year before tax. The weekly and monthly thresholds also apply, so individual deductions can vary.

If your income is below the applicable threshold, regular income-based repayments are not due for that period. Interest can still be added. If your income rises, repayments may become due.

Check current repayment thresholds

What happens to the remaining balance?

Plan 5 loans normally have any remaining balance written off 40 years after the April when repayment first became due. This is different from saying a loan never needs to be repaid.

The relevant plan, rules and your future income matter. Do not assume you will stay below a threshold throughout your working life.

Read the write-off rules

Attendance and yearly support

Funding depends on eligible study, enrolment and the applicable continuing-study details. Check the process for each year, including changes under the LLE.

If you leave or suspend a course, maintenance covering a period after you left can be an overpayment repayable immediately, separately from ordinary income-based repayments.

Read what happens if you leave

Moved to the UK, or holding qualifications from abroad?

Your background does not rule out asking about study. For funding, living in the UK or holding settled status alone does not establish eligibility. The standard route usually also requires your home to be in England and three years’ qualifying residence; other categories and exceptions have their own rules. Previous study abroad can also matter.

Check residence and eligibility

Receiving Universal Credit or other benefits?

Check the effect of becoming a student before accepting a place. Full-time students cannot usually receive Universal Credit unless an exception applies, and eligible maintenance support can affect the amount. Do not assume a student loan will simply be added to your existing benefits.

Check student finance and Universal Credit

REPAYMENT

Know what
you are borrowing.

Student loan repayments depend on your repayment plan and income. Interest can be added while you study and while your income is below the repayment threshold.

Before applying, read when repayments begin, how they are calculated and what happens if your circumstances change or you leave the course.

Read the repayment guidance

OUR ROLE

Help with
the next step.

We help prepare, complete and submit your student loan application with you, and guide follow-up. You review your details, approve the application and complete your own identity checks and declarations.

Student Finance makes the funding decision. Your provider confirms course fees and study details. We cannot guarantee a loan, a grant or a particular amount.

Discuss my study plans

Official guidance checked 19 October 2026. Follow the GOV.UK links for current rules and individual eligibility. This page provides general information.