Mature Student Finance 2026: Eligibility at 21+ for British, EUSS, ILR and Refugee Status
Quick answer
Mature students aged 21 and over with Home fee status can borrow a tuition fee loan of up to GBP 6,935 a year at a designated alternative provider (or up to GBP 9,535 at a university) plus a means-tested maintenance loan of up to GBP 13,762 a year. There is no upper age limit for a tuition fee loan, and repayments start only when you earn over GBP 25,000 a year.
Who qualifies for mature student finance
- British nationals ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years before the course starts
- Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland under Common Travel Area rules
- Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or pre-settled status with three years UK residence
- Holders of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
- People with refugee status, humanitarian protection or other qualifying Home Office leave
How much you can borrow in 2025/26
- Tuition fee loan, alternative provider: up to GBP 6,935 a year
- Maintenance loan, London away from home: up to GBP 13,762
- Maintenance loan, outside London away from home: up to GBP 10,544
- Maintenance loan, living at parents home: up to GBP 8,877
Extra support many mature students miss
- Childcare Grant and Parents Learning Allowance if you have dependent children
- Adult Dependants Grant if someone relies on you financially
- Disabled Students Allowance if you have a disability or long-term condition
Previous study rules
If you already completed a qualification at the same or a higher level with student finance, funding may be restricted. Compelling personal reasons and change-of-course rules can sometimes restore entitlement, so it is worth checking rather than assuming you are ineligible.
Repaying as a mature student
Plan 5: repayments start the April after you finish, at 9% of income above GBP 25,000, with any balance written off after 40 years. If your income never exceeds the threshold, you never repay.