Quick answer
For 2026/27, the maximum Maintenance Loan for a full-time undergraduate who is not eligible for benefits is £9,118 living with parents, £10,830 living away from home outside London, £14,135 living away from home in London, and £12,403 if you spend a year of a UK course studying abroad. Household income of £25,000 or less usually unlocks that maximum. As residual income rises, the loan falls toward a basic minimum — for example £6,060 at home, or £7,739 away outside London, at a household income of £45,000 (GOV.UK: new full-time students, GOV.UK: understanding student living costs).
The official way to estimate your amount is the GOV.UK student finance calculator. The worked examples below are taken from that GOV.UK guidance. They are not a personal award. Always read this as Student Finance England, if eligible. The Maintenance Loan is a loan and is repaid.
General information for UK home students living in England, based on GOV.UK guidance checked on 10 November 2026 (Europe/London). These figures apply to undergraduate courses starting before 1 January 2027. Rules and figures change. AF Education is not Student Finance England (SFE); your SFE assessment and Notification of Entitlement decide what you receive. Nothing here promises eligibility, a particular loan amount, acceptance, a job or a salary. Student finance loans are repaid.
This is a calculator and worked-examples guide for mature and foundation-year students. For the wider “how much will I get?” explanation, see How Much Maintenance Loan Will I Get? 2026/27. For whose income counts, see household income and student finance. AF Education gives free support with Student Finance England applications for mature and foundation-year Home students.
Official maxima and minima for 2026/27
GOV.UK publishes these rates of loan for living costs for full-time undergraduates who are not eligible for benefits (GOV.UK: support with living and other costs 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK: new full-time students):
| Where you live while studying | Maximum loan | Minimum loan (non-income-assessed) |
|---|---|---|
| Living with your parents | £9,118 | £4,013 |
| Living away from your parents, outside London | £10,830 | £5,048 |
| Living away from your parents, in London | £14,135 | £7,039 |
| Spending a year of a UK course studying abroad | £12,403 | £5,996 |
Most eligible students can receive more than the minimum by giving details of household income. If those details are not provided, you usually receive only the basic minimum.
Worked examples by household income
GOV.UK says full-time undergraduates with a household income of £25,000 or less would get the maximum additional Maintenance Loan. Above £25,000, the amount is lower. The tables on GOV.UK give these official examples for 2026/27 (GOV.UK: understanding student living costs, updated 20 January 2026):
| Household income | Living with your parents | Living away from home, outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £25,000 (full loan) | £9,118 | £10,830 |
| £45,000 | £6,060 | £7,739 |
| Official point at which only the minimum is left | £4,013 at £58,387 | £5,048 at £62,410 |
GOV.UK does not publish the same worked examples for London or for a year abroad on that page. It also notes that different rates can apply if you live in London, there are other students in the household, you are in your final year, or you get benefits. For those situations, use the official calculator rather than interpolating from this table.
For 2026/27, SFE usually assesses a sponsor’s income on tax year 2024 to 2025. If household income has dropped by 15% or more, there is a current-year assessment route. “Household income” here means residual income after the allowances set out in the assessment guide — our household income guide explains what is counted.
How to use the official GOV.UK calculator
- Open the student finance calculator on GOV.UK.
- Choose a full-time undergraduate course starting in the 2026 to 2027 academic year (before 1 January 2027, if you are asked).
- Enter where you will live while studying: at home, away outside London, or in London.
- Enter household income as SFE would assess it — for a dependent student that is usually parents’ residual income; for many mature students it is your own and, if it applies, a partner’s income.
- Answer the questions on your age, independent status, benefits, and course year honestly. The estimate will change if you are in your final year or eligible for benefits.
The calculator is an estimate only. Your Notification of Entitlement from SFE is what counts for payment. The loan is usually paid into your bank account at the start of each term, after you have registered.
Independent student status for mature students
Whose income is used matters as much as the rates above. If you are classed as an independent student, Student Finance England will not take your parents’ income into account.
GOV.UK says you are an independent student if you are 25 or over on the first day of the academic year. You can also be independent under 25 if, for example, you have care of a child, you have supported yourself financially for three years before the course starts, you are a care leaver or are estranged from your parents, or you have been married or in a civil partnership at any time before the start of the academic year (GOV.UK: student finance information for mature students, GOV.UK: how you’re assessed and paid 2026 to 2027, section 5.9).
Independent does not always mean “only my income counts”. If you are married, in a civil partnership, or 25 or over and living with a partner, SFE will usually take that partner’s income into account. The household income thresholds are the same. Evidence may be required for some routes. The full list of conditions and evidence is in our guide to independent student status.
From 2026/27, care leavers who meet the statutory definition in the Student Support Regulations — including those aged 25 or over — are entitled to the maximum Maintenance Loan automatically and are exempt from means testing (GOV.UK: support with living and other costs 2026 to 2027).
If you are 60 or over
There is no upper age limit for Tuition Fee Loans or grants. If you are 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of a full-time course, GOV.UK sets a single, fully means-tested living-costs loan (GOV.UK: support with living and other costs 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK: eligibility):
| Household income | Loan for living costs in 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| £25,000 or less | Up to £4,582 |
| From £25,000 to £43,854 | From £4,582 down to £50 |
| £43,854 | £50 |
| £43,855 and above | £0 |
Foundation years and other circumstances
If you are eligible and studying in person, a Maintenance Loan is usually available for every year of a designated undergraduate course, including an integrated foundation year. Distance learning is generally outside Maintenance Loan support, unless you cannot attend in person because of a disability. See foundation year funding for mature students.
Full-time students who are eligible for benefits — which includes some lone parents and some disabled students — qualify for higher maximum loans, for example up to £10,757 living at home, £12,345 away outside London, £15,415 in London, and £13,806 for a year abroad. The minima are the same as in the main table above. Use the official calculator if this may apply to you.
Courses starting on or after 1 January 2027 move onto the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. The 2026/27 rates and examples on this page apply to courses starting before that date.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my Maintenance Loan for 2026/27?
Use the official GOV.UK student finance calculator, and treat the tables on this page as official worked examples rather than a personal award. Your Notification of Entitlement from Student Finance England is what counts. The amount depends on where you live while studying, household residual income, and circumstances such as independent status, age, benefits and course year.
How much is the maximum Maintenance Loan in 2026/27?
For full-time undergraduates not eligible for benefits: up to £9,118 living with parents, £10,830 living away outside London, £14,135 living away in London, and £12,403 if you spend a year of a UK course studying abroad. Students eligible for benefits have higher maxima. If you are 60 or over at the start of the first academic year, the maximum is £4,582.
What household income gets the full Maintenance Loan?
GOV.UK says students with a household income of £25,000 or less would get the maximum additional Maintenance Loan. At £45,000, the official examples are £6,060 living with parents and £7,739 living away outside London. The minimum is reached at £58,387 (at home) and £62,410 (away outside London). London and some other circumstances are not given as worked examples — use the official calculator.
I’m 25 or over. Whose income is used?
If you are 25 or over on the first day of the academic year, you are an independent student and SFE will not use your parents’ income. If you are married, in a civil partnership, or 25 or over and living with a partner, that partner’s income is usually assessed instead. The same income thresholds apply. Care leavers who meet the statutory definition can get the maximum loan without means testing from 2026/27.
Can I get a Maintenance Loan in a foundation year?
Usually yes, if you are eligible, the foundation year is an integral part of a designated undergraduate course, and you are studying in person. Distance-learning students generally cannot get a Maintenance Loan unless they cannot attend in person because of a disability. Confirm with SFE for your course.
Why is there no London worked example at £45,000?
GOV.UK’s living-costs guide publishes official examples for living with parents and living away outside London only. It tells you to use the student finance calculator for London, a final year, benefits, or other students in the household. This guide does not invent figures that are not on GOV.UK.
Does the Maintenance Loan have to be repaid?
Yes. It is a loan. It is paid into your bank account to help with living costs, and it is repaid with your other student loans under the plan that applies to your course. Extra help such as certain grants or Disabled Students’ Allowance is different and may not be repaid.
What if my course starts on or after 1 January 2027?
The 2026/27 rates and worked examples on this page apply to courses starting before 1 January 2027. From that date, many courses move onto the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. Check GOV.UK for the rules that match your start date.
Free help from AF Education
AF Education gives free UK support with Student Finance England applications for mature and foundation-year Home students. WhatsApp: +44 7448 501646 · afeducation.co.uk.
Student Finance England, if eligible. Loans are repaid. Eligibility rules apply. Figures from GOV.UK. Only SFE can confirm your Maintenance Loan amount.
Sources
- Student finance for undergraduates: new full-time students (GOV.UK)
- Support with living and other costs: 2026 to 2027 academic year (GOV.UK, published 26 November 2025)
- Understanding student living costs (GOV.UK, updated 20 January 2026)
- Student finance calculator (GOV.UK)
- Student finance: how you’re assessed and paid 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK)
- Student finance information for mature students (GOV.UK)
- Student finance for undergraduates: eligibility (GOV.UK)
