Undergraduate maintenance loan
For the 2025/26 academic year, full-time UK students could receive over £10,000 in Maintenance Loan funding, so it’s important to check you are receiving the funding you are entitled to.
In November 2024, the UK government announced a 3.1% increase in the financial support available for students starting in September 2025 subject to ratification of the legislation.
This information is specifically for students receiving funding through Student Finance England (SFE), For 2025/26, we are yet to receive confirmation if, like in previous years, the principle is the same for students from Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Full-time UK students
In 2025/26, all students who qualify for Maintenance Loan funding are eligible for a basic amount. In light of the 3.1% increase in support available, these figures will increase from what was available in 2024/25 but the exact figures are yet to be confirmed.
For reference, in 2024/25, this equated to:
- Living away from parental home in term time: £4,767
- Living with parents in term time: £3,790
However, you may be able to receive significantly more Maintenance Loan depending on your household income (2024/25 figures unless stated):
Living away from parental home in term time
| Household income | Maintenance loan |
|---|
| £25,000 |
£10,227 (£10,544 in 2025/26) |
| £30,000 |
£9,497 |
| £40,000 |
£8,035 |
| £50,000 |
£6,573 |
| £60,000 |
£5,111 |
| Over £62,347 |
£4,767 |
Living with parents in term time
| Household income | Maintenance loan |
|---|
| £25,000 |
£8,610 (£8,877 in 2025/26) |
| £30,000 |
£7,887 |
| £40,000 |
£6,440 |
| £50,000 |
£4,993 |
| Over £58,307 |
£3,790 |
If you are entitled to certain benefits, your entitlement could be even higher. You can use the Student Finance calculator to get a tailored estimate of your Maintenance Loan entitlement.
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If you didn’t apply for your Maintenance Loan to be based on household income (means tested) there are two forms that need to be completed; one which you need to complete and the other to be completed by your parent(s) or partner. Links to these forms are provided below. You can upload these forms onto your SFE account once they are completed:
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If your parent is divorced, separated or widowed, you will need to upload evidence of this along with the forms stated in the previous question. Examples of the evidence that is normally required are:
- Divorced: Decree Absolut or Decree Nisi
- Separated: Council Tax bill showing parent receives 25% single occupancy discount
- Widowed: death certificate of the parent’s spouse/ or civil partner
- Single: SFE will perform their own checks, if these checks are unsuccessful, they will contact your parent for further evidence (for example, a Council Tax bill showing parent receives 25% single occupancy discount or alternative evidence)
If your parent is unable to provide this evidence, please contact SFE (0300 100 0607) to find out what alternative evidence is needed.
Most students do not need to provide evidence of their parents’ household income as SFE go direct to check this with HMRC. However, if this information cannot be checked with HMRC then evidence will need to be provided. This is most common where your parent(s) did not live in the UK during the tax year in question.
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If you are an independent student, your income is used and that of your spouse/civil partner (if applicable). If you are living with a partner, your partner's income is included if you are aged 25 or over.
You are classed as an independent student if you meet one, or more, of the following:
- You are 25 or older
- You have a child
- You have no living parents
- You are, or have been, married or in a civil partnership
- You have financially supported yourself for three years and can provide evidence of this (e.g. through 36+ months of payslips, which show a salary where you could be financially independent)
- You are estranged from your parents (this means you have no contact with them)
- You are a care leaver
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If you are a dependent student, your income and that of your parent(s) is needed, but you do not need to declare your income from part-time work.
If your parents are no longer together, then the income of the parent you have most contact with is assessed.
If that parent is living with a partner, then the partner’s information is also needed.
Income from other people in the household, for example siblings, is not required.
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Students: SFE will ask you to estimate your taxable unearned income for the academic year. For example, any taxable income you will receive from dividends, investments or renting out a property you own. You do not need to include wages from a part-time job you are hoping to get. For most students, your taxable unearned income is likely to be zero.
Parent(s) or partner:
- Dependent students: your parent(s)
- Independent students: your partner (if applicable)
The taxable income that the parent(s) or partner received in the 2022/23 tax year is also used, such as their salary, taxable benefits and income from pensions.
However, other factors are also considered, which could reduce your household income, for example, if your parents/ or partner have other dependants, or they have made private pension contributions. This means your calculated ‘residual’ household income could be less than your actual household income, giving you a higher amount of Maintenance Loan than you might have expected.
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If your household income in 2024/25 is higher than it was in the 2022/23 tax year, you do not need to inform SFE of this.
If your household income in 2024/25 is expected to be at least 15% lower than it was in the 2022/23 tax year, you can request a
Current Year Income assessment so that you can get reassessed and potentially receive a higher amount of Maintenance Loan.
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Additional funding
Depending on your circumstances and your course, check if you are eligible for additional funding or learning support: