UK Government loans for undergraduate study
Student loans are available from the UK Government to eligible UK and EU* nationals, who qualify as 'Home Fee Status' students, to cover the cost of university tuition fees (tuition fee loans) and to help with living expenses (maintenance loans).
International students and EU students requiring a Student Visa are not eligible for funding from the UK Government.
UK Government loans are administered by regional funding bodies – each of which has their own rules and offer different types and amounts of funding to students.
Eligible students will receive funding from their regional funding body, based on their ordinary country of residence (not where they are planning to study). For detailed information about funding from each body, please follow the links below:
- Student Finance England (SFE)
- Student Finance Wales (SFW)
- Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI)
- Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
To be eligible for UK Government funding, students will need to meet a range of criteria that includes nationality, residency and previous study. Please note that if you have ever studied in Higher Education before – even if it was not in the UK or you do not have a degree – your entitlement to funding may be affected.
You must apply for funding each academic year and are strongly advised to do so as soon as the application cycle opens, usually around February / March, for the academic year starting the following September.
Home Fee status students undertaking a campus-based undergraduate course, may be eligible to apply for two* main elements of financial support from the Government:
- A Tuition Fee Loan (and/or grant in some regions) which is paid direct to the University on a student's behalf, to cover the cost of the tuition fees; and
- A Maintenance Loan (and/or grant in some regions) which is paid in three instalments throughout the academic year, to help with your living expenses. If you wish to borrow more than the minimum amount of maintenance loan, you will need to have an assessment of your household income.
* Please note that some EU students will be eligible to apply for a tuition fee loan only. Some students may also qualify for some supplementary funding such as Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) and this should be applied for as part of the main funding application.
Eligible Home Fee status students on our online undergraduate courses will be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the course tuition fees.
Please note that the Student Loans Company does not offer maintenance support for distance learning study unless you're unable to attend a course on campus due to a disability.
Students studying a two-year accelerated degree, who qualify for Home Fee status, can apply for funding in the same way and are subject to the same eligibility criteria as students studying three-year on-campus courses.
Accelerated degree students can apply for a higher rate of tuition fee loan, up to the maximum amount chargeable for an accelerated degree. Please see our undergraduate tuition fees page for full fee information.
Eligible accelerated degree students from England will also be considered for a Long Course Loan. A long course loan is paid as part of a standard maintenance loan as a contribution towards living costs during the extra weeks of study for an accelerated degree.
Head to Government student loan website
For the most up-to-date information about applying for UK Government student loans go to GOV.UK.