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Office Address

47 Cavell Street, London, E1 2BP
London, United Kingdom

Phone Number

020 7377 8844

+447448501646

Email Address

info@afeducation.co.uk

Student Finance England Guides

Free, plain-English guides for UK home students applying for Student Finance England, including mature students and people starting with a foundation year. AF Education helps you check eligibility and apply at no cost to you. This service is not for international students.

Key 2026/27 figures from GOV.UK

Tuition Fee Loan

Up to £9,790 a year for a full-time course in 2026/27, paid straight to your university or college.

Source: GOV.UK, new full-time students

Maintenance Loan (maximum)

£9,118 living with parents, £10,830 away from home outside London, £14,135 away from home in London (2026/27). The amount you get depends on household income.

Source: GOV.UK, new full-time students

Foundation year

For classroom-based subjects such as business, social science or humanities, the foundation-year Tuition Fee Loan is up to £5,760 in 2026/27.

Source: GOV.UK, new full-time students

Online and distance learning

Distance-learning students can only apply for a Maintenance Loan if they cannot attend their course in person because of a disability. A Tuition Fee Loan may still be available.

Source: GOV.UK, part-time students

Who qualifies

It depends on your university or college, your course, any previous higher education study, your age, and your nationality or residency status.

Source: GOV.UK, who qualifies

Repaying (Plan 5)

If you started an undergraduate course on or after 1 August 2023, you repay 9% of income over £25,000 a year. Plan 5 loans are written off 40 years after the April you were first due to repay.

Source: GOV.UK, what you pay Source: GOV.UK, when loans are written off

Figures checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026. For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, student finance changes to the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

Check your eligibility free Talk to an adviser

Guides by topic

How Student Finance England works

Start here: what you can get, who qualifies and how funded degrees work for UK home students.

Applying, deadlines and payments

Step-by-step applications, documents, deadlines and when the money arrives.

Foundation years, part-time and online study

Funding rules for foundation years, part-time courses and distance learning.

Extra help: parents, disability and benefits

Grants and allowances on top of your loans, and how student finance interacts with benefits.

Repayment, interest and your balance

When repayments start, how interest works and how to check what you owe.

More Student Finance guides

Other guides from our Student Finance section.

Find a funded course

Browse courses you can fund with Student Finance England, by subject or by city, or see our guide to university for mature students.

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Register your interest in under 2 minutes. A dedicated student advisor will contact you to check eligibility, explain tuition and maintenance funding, and guide you through every step to enrolment.

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  • Dedicated Advisor
  1. 01 Register your interest
  2. 02 Advisor calls you back
  3. 03 Apply & enrol with support
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