NASMA: helping you stay finance savvy

Get your student finance sorted for 2026/27

Whether you’re starting your first year at university or college, or returning to study for a new academic year, getting your student finance organised is essential – and the Student Loans Company (SLC) is here to help.

“Your Tuition Fee Loan will be paid directly to your university or college once they confirm your attendance. Your Maintenance Loan is paid in 3 instalments directly into your bank account on the dates shown in your entitlement summary and online account. You will not receive payment until your registration has been confirmed”

“You’ll only repay your student loan when your income is over the threshold amount for your repayment plan. Repayments are based on your income, not the amount you borrowed”

“Interest is added from the day you receive your first payment until your loan is repaid or written off. For students starting university or college in 2026/27, the write-off period is typically 40 years”

Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions students ask as they prepare for the new term.

Importantly, the start date of your course will determine which type of student finance you need to apply for.

Students starting in 2026
If you are a student in England starting a course between August and December 2026, or a student in Wales, you should apply for funding as soon as possible.

You can apply for student finance up to nine months after the first day of the academic year of your course. However if you’ve not yet applied for your student finance for the 2026/27 academic year, you should do so now, as it can take up to four weeks to process your application.

The easiest way to apply is online and it should only take 30 minutes.

Students in England: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-register-login
Students in Wales: https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/

SLC processes all applications for students in England and Wales. Students in Scotland apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), and Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) administers loans in Northern Ireland.

Students starting in 2027
If you are a student in England starting an eligible course or module on or after 1 January 2027, you will apply for student finance through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

You’ll need to apply for funding through the LLE if you study certain courses and modules from levels 4 to 6, or some postgraduate courses at level 7. This includes most undergraduate and some postgraduate courses.

Applications will open in September. For full details on eligibility, what you can get and how to apply, visit https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-on-or-after-1-january-2027.

Who qualifies for student finance?
There are several factors that affect your eligibility for student finance. These include:

your nationality and residency status
the course you plan to study
the university, college or training provider
how much previous study you’ve done
your age
The number of credits you’re studying (if you’re applying through LLE)

If you live in England and your course starts in 2026, you can check your eligibility at: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/who-qualifies

If you live in Wales, visit: https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/undergraduate-finance/full-time/tuition-fee-and-living-cost-students/who-qualifies/

If you are applying for LLE funding for study starting in 2027, you can find out more at:
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-on-or-after-1-january-2027

How much funding can I get?
You may be able to apply for:

Tuition Fee Loans to help pay your course fees
Maintenance Loans to help with living costs

Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college. Maintenance Loans are paid into your bank account.

Students in Wales can apply for a combination of loans and grants to help with living costs.

Postgraduate and part-time students can also apply for funding. Additional support is available in England and Wales for students with disabilities, mental health conditions, long-term health conditions or specific learning difficulties, as well as for students with children or adult dependants.

Follow the links below to find out more about funding for:

Students in England starting in 2026 https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/going-to-uni-2026/
Students in England starting from January 2027 (LLE) https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/lifelong-learning-entitlement/
Students in Wales https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/discover-student-finance/

When will I receive my 2026/27 student finance?
If you are starting your course in September and applied before the deadline, your student finance for 2026/27 should now be in place.

If you applied after the deadline, your application may not be fully processed by the start of term. Student Finance England or Wales will carry out an initial assessment, so you receive some money as close to the start of your course as possible, followed by a top-up payment once your application is fully processed. You can find out more about applying late here:

England: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-get-your-first-payment-if-youre-applying-late
Wales: https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/how-to-get-your-first-payment-if-you-re-applying-late/https://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/how-to-get-your-first-payment-if-you-re-applying-late/

Once your application is assessed, you will receive an entitlement summary showing how much funding you will get for the 2026/27 academic year. You can access this through your online account.

Your Tuition Fee Loan will be paid directly to your university or college once they confirm your attendance.

Your Maintenance Loan is paid in 3 instalments directly into your bank account on the dates shown in your entitlement summary and online account. You will not receive payment until your registration has been confirmed.

Allow a few days for the money to reach your account.

It’s important to check your bank details are correct. Avoid making changes within 5 working days of a scheduled payment, as this could delay your funds.

You can track your application at:

England: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-register-login
Wales: http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/

You can find more information on getting paid at:

My parent or partner’s income has gone down. How will this affect my student finance?
Some student finance is based on household income, so we’ll ask your parents or partner to provide financial details.

If your household income has dropped by at least 15% compared to the previous tax year, you can apply for a reassessment using Current Year Income (CYI).

You must first provide details from the previous tax year before this can be considered.

Rules for CYI vary depending on where you live and the type of funding you are applying for:

When do I have to repay my loan?
You usually start repaying your Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan from:

the April after you leave your course
the April four years after your course started, if you’re studying part-time

You’ll only repay your student loan when your income is over the threshold amount for your repayment plan.

Repayments are based on your income, not the amount you borrowed.

Interest is added from the day you receive your first payment until your loan is repaid or written off.

For students starting university or college in 2026/27, the write-off period is typically 40 years.

Repayments are collected through the tax system. You repay:

9% of earnings above the threshold (undergraduate loans)
6% for postgraduate loans

Repayments are taken automatically through PAYE by HMRC, while SLC manages your loan account.

You can check your balance using SLC’s Online Repayment Service. Toward the end of repayment, you may be invited to switch to Direct Debit to avoid overpaying.

Find out more: http://www.gov.uk/repaying-your-student-loan

How can I stay safe online?
Fraudsters may send phishing emails pretending to be from SLC, Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales, asking for personal or financial information. This is particularly common around payment dates in September, January and April.

To stay safe: