A full-time student from England starting or continuing in 2026/27 can borrow up to £10,830 a year for living costs while studying away from home outside London, £14,135 in London and £9,118 while living with parents. The full amount is paid where household income is £25,000 or less; above that the loan falls by £1 for roughly every £6.50 of income until it reaches a floor of £5,048, £7,039 or £4,013. Tuition fees of up to £9,790 are covered by a separate loan paid straight to the university. Both loans are repaid together through the tax system once earnings pass the threshold for the repayment plan.
The maximum and minimum loans
| Where you live during term | Maximum, household income £25,000 or less | Minimum, everyone qualifies | Income at which the minimum applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| With parents | £9,118 | £4,013 | about £58,400 |
| Away from home, outside London | £10,830 | £5,048 | about £62,400 |
| Away from home, in London | £14,135 | £7,039 | about £70,100 |
The minimum is not means tested: every eligible student can borrow it regardless of parental income. Between the two figures the loan reduces by £1 for every £6.54 of household income above £25,000 for students at home, £6.47 for those away from home and £6.36 in London. Students in their final year receive a lower maximum because the loan covers a shorter period. The maintenance loan calculator gives the figure for any household income and location, with the termly instalments.
What the taper produces
| Household income | Living at home | Away from home | London |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 or less | £9,118 | £10,830 | £14,135 |
| £35,000 | £7,589 | £9,284 | £12,563 |
| £45,000 | £6,060 | £7,739 | £10,990 |
| £55,000 | £4,531 | £6,193 | £9,418 |
| £62,500 | £4,013 | £5,048 | £8,239 |
| £70,000 | £4,013 | £5,048 | £7,060 |
| £80,000 | £4,013 | £5,048 | £7,039 |
The loan is paid in three instalments at the start of each term, so a student away from home with household income of £45,000 receives about £2,580 a term, £860 a month over a nine-month academic year. Rent for a room in university accommodation or a shared house frequently absorbs the whole of that, which is why the gap between the loan and living costs is usually met by parents or part-time work. The student budget calculator sets the loan against rent, bills and food for a term, and the tuition total calculator adds the fee loan to give the debt at graduation.
How household income is assessed
For a student under 25 who depends on their parents, household income is the parents’ combined taxable income before tax, less pension contributions, and after a deduction of £1,130 for each other child in full-time education or dependent on them. The assessment uses the tax year two years before the academic year, so 2026/27 loans are based on income in 2024/25. Where income has since fallen by 15% or more, a current year income assessment can be requested instead. Students who are 25 or over, married, have supported themselves for three years or are estranged from their parents are assessed as independent, on their own and any partner’s income. Living at home means the parental home; students in a partner’s home count as living away.
Tuition fees
The fee cap for 2026/27 is £9,790 for a standard full-time course and £11,750 for an accelerated two-year degree. The tuition fee loan is not means tested and is paid directly to the university, so it never passes through the student’s account. Over a three-year course the fee loan alone comes to £29,370 before interest.
Repaying
Students who started in England from August 2023 are on Plan 5: repayments of 9% of income above £25,000 a year, taken through PAYE or Self Assessment from the April after leaving the course, with anything unpaid written off after 40 years. Earlier starters remain on Plan 2, repaying 9% above £29,385 with a 30-year write-off. A graduate earning £32,000 on Plan 5 repays £630 a year, £52.50 a month, whatever the size of the balance. The which plan checker confirms the plan from the start date, and our student loan thresholds guide sets out every plan’s threshold and interest rules.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Students from Scotland pay no tuition fees at Scottish universities and receive a mix of bursary and loan from the Student Awards Agency Scotland; Welsh students receive a means-tested grant alongside their loan from Student Finance Wales, so that a larger share of support is non-repayable; Northern Ireland has its own loan and grant rates. Eligibility follows where the student normally lives, not where they study, so an English student at a Scottish university uses the figures above.
Common questions
How much maintenance loan can I get in 2026/27? Up to £10,830 away from home outside London, £14,135 in London and £9,118 living with parents, where household income is £25,000 or less. Higher incomes reduce the loan to a minimum of £5,048, £7,039 or £4,013.
At what income does the loan stop reducing? Around £58,400 living at home, £62,400 away from home and £70,100 in London, where the minimum loan applies.
Which year’s income is used? The tax year two years before the academic year, so 2024/25 for 2026/27, unless income has dropped by 15% or more and a current year assessment is requested.
Is the tuition fee loan means tested? No. Every eligible student can borrow the full fee, up to £9,790 in 2026/27, paid directly to the university.
When do repayments start? The April after leaving the course, once income exceeds the plan threshold: £25,000 on Plan 5, at 9% of income above it.
Do I have to take the full loan? No. You can apply for less than the maximum, and take-up can be changed during the year.
Information, not financial advice. Loan and fee figures are the published 2026/27 rates on gov.uk: student finance for new full-time students and the Student Finance England assessment guidance for 2026 to 2027; worked figures are from the site’s calculator for a non-final year. Individual assessments depend on the household’s declared income, so check with Student Finance England before acting on them.