Many UK undergraduate students can apply for a Maintenance Loan from the Government. The loan helps to pay for living costs, such as accommodation, food and travel, while you're studying.
The exact amount you’ll receive depends on your personal circumstances, including where you live during term-time and your household income.
This page has more information about how you're assessed and what you might receive. Please note these are estimates only. Gov.UK has a student finance calculator that gives a more detailed idea of exactly how much money you could get.
Full-time and part-time students can apply for the Maintenance Loan, with part-time students receiving the loan on a pro-rata basis. Distance learning students are not eligible to apply.
The Maintenance Loan is available to students from:
You can apply for the Maintenance Loan through Student Finance England, at the same time as you apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
Assessment is based on your household income.
'Household income' relates to taxable income in the relevant tax year and is the income of your parents/step-parents/parent’s partner. If your parents are separated then you should provide details of the parent you have most affiliation with – usually the parent you live with the most.
If you're starting university in the 2025-26 academic year, applications for the Maintenance Loan will usually be assessed on income from the tax year 2023-24.
However, applications can be assessed on current year income if there is likely to be a 15% or more drop in income for the tax year 2025-26.
You may be eligible for the Special Support Element if you:
Please note these are estimates only. Gov.UK has a student finance calculator that gives a more detailed idea of exactly how much money you could get.
Living in parental home
| Household income for tax year 2023-24 | Maintenance Loan | Special Support Element |
| £25,000 | £8,877 | £10,473 |
| £30,000 | £8,132 | £9,281 |
| £40,000 | £6,640 | £6,896 |
| £50,000 | £5,148 | £5,148 |
| £58,307 | £3,907 | £3,907 |
| £60,000+ | £3,907 | £3,907 |
Living away from parental home or in own home
| Household income for tax year 2023-24 | Maintenance Loan | Special Support Element |
| £25,000 | £10,544 | £12,019 |
| £30,000 | £9,791 | 10,853 |
| £40,000 | 8,284 | £8,521 |
| £50,000 | £6,777 | £6,777 |
| £60,000 | £5,269 | £5,269 |
| £62,347 | 4,915 | £4,915 |
| £70,000+ | 4,915 | £4,915 |
Some of our courses are longer than the standard academic year, and students are for additional Maintenance Loan. Known as the 'long courses loan' it is income-assessed and added to your Maintenance Loan at the time of assessment.
Currently students receive up to £75 per week extra if living at home with parents, or up to £113 per week extra if living elsewhere.
In 2024-25 our long courses were as follows. These are the maximum extra amounts that will be included if your household income is less than £25,000. Incomes over this may have a pro-rata amount included.
| Course | Number of extra weeks in Year 1 (2024-25) | Extra loan if living at home | Extra loan if living elsewhere |
| Nursing / Operating Department Practice | 14 weeks | Up to £1,050 | Up to £1,588 |
| Midwifery | 22 weeks | Up to £1,656 | Up to £2,495 |
| Paramedic Science | 8 weeks | Up to £587 | Up to £907 |
| Medicine | 4 weeks | Up to £301 | Up to £454 |
| Accelerated | 10 weeks | Up to £753 | Up to £1,134 |
| Physiotherapy / Occupational Therapy | 11 weeks | Up to £828 | Up to £1,248 |
You may get limited funding for Maintenance Loans if you’re 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course, and you’re studying full-time. The amount you can apply for depends on your household income.
| Household income (£) | Maintenance Loan for living costs |
| £25,000 | £4,461 |
| £30,000 | £3,290 |
| £35,000 | £2,135 |
| £40,000 | £946 |
| £43,819 | £50 |