Student Maintenance Loan Calculator 2026/27

Apply through the Student Finance England section of gov.uk. You need to apply once for each academic year — your previous year's approval does not carry forward automatically. Applications for 2026/27 opened in February 2026. Returning students can apply in the “returning student” section; new students apply as first-time applicants.

If you study part-time, you may still be eligible for a reduced maintenance loan depending on your course intensity. Contact SFE to confirm whether your specific part-time course qualifies. Students on NHS-funded courses, initial teacher training, or certain postgraduate courses have different maintenance loan arrangements — check your course-specific eligibility on the gov.uk student finance eligibility tool before using this calculator. If you are moving on to postgraduate study, read whether you get a maintenance loan for a master's first.

Before you start your application, have the following ready:

• Your National Insurance number
• Your university name, course title, and start year
• Your UK bank account details (sort code and account number — must be in your own name)
• Your parents' National Insurance numbers and email addresses (they complete their income section separately)
• Proof of identity (passport or birth certificate)

After you submit, SFE sends your parents a separate email asking them to confirm their household income via their own Government Gateway account. Your parents need to submit their P60 gross income for the relevant tax year. This step is critical — without it, SFE can only pay you the non-means-tested minimum. Chase your parents to complete this within two weeks of your submission.

Processing typically takes six to eight weeks. Apply as early as possible — for new students the recommended deadline is usually end of May, for returning students end of June. Late applications are accepted but risk your first payment arriving weeks after term starts.

Your maintenance loan is paid in three instalments — one at the start of each term. You do not receive the full annual amount in one payment. This is by design: SFE splits the loan to align with academic term starts, with the expectation that each instalment covers roughly one term of living costs.

• Term 1 (autumn): Arrives in late September or early October — typically the largest instalment, around 40% of your annual entitlement, because the autumn term is the longest.
• Term 2 (spring): Arrives in early to mid-January.
• Term 3 (summer): Arrives in late April — typically the smallest instalment.

SFE pays directly into your registered bank account once your university confirms your attendance for that term. If you delay registering with your university, your payment is delayed accordingly. Make sure your bank details are correct in your SFE account before term starts.

Your entitlement letter from SFE shows the exact amounts and expected payment dates for each term. Keep this letter — it is the reference document for any payment queries.

If your SFE entitlement letter shows a lower figure than this calculator, the most common causes are:

• Parents have not submitted income evidence. Without parental income data, SFE defaults to the non-means-tested minimum. Chase your parents to complete their section of the application urgently.
• SFE is using a different income figure. SFE uses the previous tax year's gross income. If your parents' income was higher last year than this year, your loan reflects the higher figure. Request a current-year income assessment if income has fallen by 10% or more.
• Wrong living situation recorded. Log in to your SFE account and confirm your situation is recorded correctly. An at-home student accidentally marked as living away (or vice versa) will have a different loan amount.
• Rounding. This calculator uses published 2026/27 maintenance rates and may differ from SFE's own rounding by £5–30. Small differences are normal; large discrepancies are not.

To query your loan, call SFE on 0300 100 0607 or use the online message centre in your student finance account. Have your Customer Reference Number ready. Most queries are resolved within 10 working days.

Your maintenance loan lands in three lump sums. Each one needs to cover roughly 10–12 weeks of living costs. Here is how to avoid running out before the next payment:

• Calculate your weekly budget before spending anything. Divide your term payment by the number of weeks in the term (typically 10–11 weeks excluding Christmas or Easter). That is your weekly spending limit. Set this up in a spreadsheet or budgeting app before term starts.
• Pay fixed costs immediately. On the day your loan arrives, pay rent, any bills, and any upfront costs (textbooks, equipment, annual transport pass). What remains is your flexible budget for the term.
• Open a student account with an interest-free overdraft. Most major UK banks offer £500–£3,000 of interest-free overdraft for students. This is an emergency buffer — not spending money — but it prevents expensive unauthorised overdraft fees if you misjudge a week's spending.
• Track weekly spending. Apps like Monzo, Starling, or even a basic spreadsheet give you real-time visibility on whether you are on track. Students who track spending are significantly less likely to run out before term ends.
• Do not treat the summer term payment as discretionary. The April payment needs to cover not just the summer term but often the summer holidays before the next loan arrives in September. Treat it as two months of spending, not one.