Fees and funding

UK Government Student Loans

Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)

If you’re a UK Home student looking to start a course from January 2027 you may be eligible to apply for funding through the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). Current students whose course started in October 2026-27 or earlier should refer to our Student Money pages.

Students from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales whose home is not usually in England are not eligible for LLE. Government funding remains available for eligible learners from one of the applicable providers:

What is Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)?

LLE is a new Government student finance system being introduced in England replacing the traditional model of student finance that was primarily designed around funding a single undergraduate degree. The aim is to create a more flexible approach to funding higher and technical education, allowing people to study, retrain and develop new skills throughout their lives. LLE funding is available for the following eligible courses:

a bachelor’s degree
a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
an integrated master’s degree
a foundation year, if it forms part of a bachelor’s degree
a foundation degree
modules from level 6 qualifications which meet skills gaps such as, but not limited to, social work
a postgraduate healthcare course

Eligibility

Your eligibility for LLE depends on:

how much previous study you’ve done
your course
the number of credits you study each year
your university, college or training provider
your nationality and residency status
your age

To check whether you qualify as a UK home student, you should check your eligibility using the Student Finance eligibility checker.

What you can apply for

Eligible learners can apply for:

Tuition Fee Loans to help pay for course tuition fees
Maintenance Loans to help with your living costs
Extra funding such as a grant or allowance, for example, if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children

Tuition fee loans

From October 2026, if you create a student finance account for LLE funding, you’ll be able to get an estimate of how much Tuition Fee Loan you can borrow throughout your studies. You do not need to apply for student finance to access the estimate.

LLE Tuition Fee Loans are linked to the number of course credits studied. Most undergraduate degrees are made up of 360 credits, usually studied over three years.

Eligible learners could have access to a tuition fee loan entitlement up to 480 credits - equivalent to approximately four years of post-18 study. Based on current government figures, this entitlement is worth up to £39,160, which can be used flexibly across approved courses and modules over your lifetime.

Any government funding you’ve previously received to cover course tuition fees will usually be deducted from that total, leaving you with a smaller amount. The deducted amount will include previous Government Tuition Fee Loans which may take into account inflation.

If you only have some, or even none, of your Tuition Fee Loan allowance left, you may be eligible for priority additional entitlement to study one of these priority subjects:

Nursing
Allied health professions
Dentistry
Social work

Learners may also be eligible for special additional entitlement worth the cost of their study if their LLE balance is £0 and they:

take foundation years
study abroad
are on a work placement
are on the Turing scheme

Maintenance support

Eligible learners can apply for Maintenance Loans to support with living costs. The Government have published guidance explaining how maintenance loans will work when the LLE launches. This has further detail on the calculation process and changes to the split contribution policy.

Who can get a maintenance loan

Learners on courses requiring face-to-face attendance
Distance learners, where this option is available for your chosen course, and who cannot attend in person due to a disability
Learners aged 60+ may only qualify for a limited, means-tested support loan
Those eligible for an NHS bursary and final-year students taking 110+ credits can receive a reduced loan
Those who still have at least £1,587.50 left from your Tuition Fee Loan amount

You may be able to apply for Maintenance Loans if your LLE balance is £0 and you study the priority subjects mentioned above.

How much you can get

How much you get in Maintenance Loans depends on:

where you live while you study, such as with your parents, in London or abroad
the number of credits you study
how many weeks you study each year
your household income

For the 2027-28 academic year, the exact maintenance loan amounts will not be confirmed until February 2027. As a guide, 2026-27 amounts are between £4,013 and £14,135, depending on where you live and your household income.

Please note: Maintenance loans may not cover all living costs, and learners can still access additional support such as grants or other financial aid.

Applying and payments

Applications for courses starting in January 2027 will open at the end of October 2026.
Applications for courses starting in October 2027 will open in January 2027.
You do not need a confirmed place at Essex before applying for LLE funding, apply as soon as possible to have funding in place when your course starts – your funding can be transferred if you change University.
Declare your Household Income when you apply If you would like to be assessed for the maximum entitlement for a Maintenance Loan or you will only be assessed for the minimum entitlement.
You will need to apply for funding for each course you study. If your course lasts longer than a year, you will need to reapply each year of your course.
Tuition fee funding is paid directly to the University once you have registered.
Maintenance loans will be paid directly into your bank account usually in up to three instalments during the academic year.
Eligibility for ‘home fees’ status does not guarantee eligibility for Government funding. The Student Loans Company will complete its own assessment.
Once registered at the University, you remain responsible for your tuition fees regardless of funding status.

Repeat study

If you've used up your Student LLE entitlement and circumstances beyond your control affected your studies, such as illness or bereavement, you may be able to receive an additional year of funding for a repeat year by applying for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR). There is no definitive list of reasons deemed as CPR, Student Finance England consider each case individually and therefore funding is not guaranteed. It’s important to provide clear evidence showing how your circumstances affected your studies.

Withdrawals, intermission and returning to study

If you withdraw from your course or take an intermission from study, you may need to submit a new LLE funding application before returning to study. This will depend on when you resume and the funding arrangements in place at that time.

Repayments

Repayment of LLE loans will follow the Plan 5 system of student loan repayments. This means repayments will only start once a borrower earns more than £25,000 a year before tax, equal to £2,083 a month or £480 per week.

Important information

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is still being developed by the UK Government.

Funding rules, eligibility criteria and application processes may change before it is introduced.

You should always check the latest Government guidance before applying.

Further information and updates will be published on this page when they become available.

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