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    Mature Student Finance UK 2026: Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan at 21+

    7/26/2026 8 min read

    Quick answer

    If you are 21 or over and a British national, EU Settlement Scheme (Settled or Pre-Settled) holder or have Indefinite Leave to Remain, Student Finance England will pay your full tuition fee and give you a Maintenance Loan to live on, even if it is your first ever course and you have no qualifications. There is no upper age limit for the Tuition Fee Loan. Maintenance Loans are available up to age 60.

    At a glance: 2026/27 rates

    • Tuition Fee Loan: up to GBP 9,535 per year at universities, GBP 6,935 per year at alternative providers such as GBS
    • Maintenance Loan, London, living away from home: up to GBP 13,762
    • Maintenance Loan, outside London: up to GBP 10,544
    • Maintenance Loan, living with parents: up to GBP 8,877
    • Repayment threshold (Plan 5): GBP 25,000 per year, 9% of income above it
    • Written off: 40 years after the April you were first due to repay

    Am I eligible?

    You qualify for the full package if, on the first day of the academic year, you meet a residence and a status test.

    Status: British or Irish citizen, Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme, Pre-Settled Status with the required residence, Indefinite Leave to Remain or Enter, refugee or humanitarian protection status, or a family member of one of these.

    Residence: ordinarily resident in the UK for the 3 years before the course starts, and resident in England on day one.

    Previous study: the big one for mature students. If you already hold an honours degree you generally cannot get a second Tuition Fee Loan, with exceptions for medicine, nursing, teaching and some STEM subjects. If you have never studied at degree level, you get the full entitlement no matter your age.

    How much will I actually repay?

    Plan 5, which covers courses starting from September 2023 onwards:

    • Earning GBP 25,000: GBP 0 per month
    • Earning GBP 30,000: about GBP 37 per month
    • Earning GBP 40,000: about GBP 112 per month
    • Earning GBP 50,000: about GBP 187 per month
    It is collected through PAYE like tax. If your income drops below the threshold, repayment stops automatically. The balance is cancelled after 40 years, which means many mature students never repay the full amount.

    Grants mature students often miss

    These are grants, not loans, so you never repay them:

    • Childcare Grant - up to 85% of registered childcare costs for children under 15
    • Parents' Learning Allowance - up to around GBP 2,000 per year if you have dependent children
    • Adult Dependants' Grant - up to around GBP 3,500 per year if an adult depends on you financially
    • Disabled Students' Allowance - equipment, software, non-medical help and travel
    Household income is assessed on your income and your partner's, not your parents', once you are 25 or over, married, or have supported yourself for 3 years. That usually increases what you can claim.

    Can I keep working and claim benefits?

    Full-time study normally stops most means-tested benefits, but there are exceptions for lone parents, disabled students and some part-time learners. Many mature students choose a provider with evening, weekend or blended delivery, such as GBS, Arden University, Birkbeck or the Open University, so they can keep earning while they study.

    Where the GBP 6,935 fee matters

    Alternative providers designated by the Department for Education, including GBS (Global Banking School), charge GBP 6,935 per year rather than GBP 9,535. Over a three year degree that is roughly GBP 7,800 less debt for the same loan access and a degree awarded by a partner university. See our full breakdown in the GBS student finance guide and estimate your award with the maintenance loan calculator.

    Applying: the order that avoids delays

    1. Get a course offer first (you can apply for finance before, but the offer speeds things up)
    2. Apply online at gov.uk/student-finance from spring for a September start
    3. Upload ID: passport, BRP, share code for EUSS status or ILR evidence
    4. Send household income evidence if you want the full Maintenance Loan
    5. Approve and check your entitlement letter before enrolment

    Allow six to eight weeks. Late applications still get funded but the first instalment can arrive after term starts.

    Not sure whether you qualify? Run a free check at lightningenrolment.com/eligibility.