Maintenance Loan Changes
Maintenance loans help cover living costs during study with amounts varying by household income, location, and living arrangements.
Maximum Maintenance Loans 2025-26
| Living Situation | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living at parental home | £8,400 | £8,668 | +£268 |
| Living away from home | £10,227 | £10,554 | +£327 |
| Living in London | £13,762 | £14,202 | +£440 |
| Year abroad/placement | £11,866 | £12,246 | +£380 |
Maximum amounts for students from lowest household income bands. Reduced for higher household incomes.
Income Assessment Bands
Maintenance loan amounts reduce progressively as household income increases above twenty-five thousand pounds. Students from households earning twenty-five thousand pounds or less receive maximum amounts shown above. Amounts reduce by one pound for every approximately nine pounds fifty pence of household income above threshold until reaching minimum maintenance loan levels.
Example: Living away from home outside London
Household income £25,000 → £10,554 (maximum)
Household income £35,000 → £9,501
Household income £45,000 → £8,448
Household income £55,000 → £7,395
Household income £65,000+ → £4,767 (minimum)
Special Circumstances
Students assessed as independent from parents receive maximum maintenance loan regardless of parental household income. Independent status granted to students aged twenty-five or over, married or in civil partnership, having dependent children, estranged from parents with evidence, or whose parents have died. Estranged students benefit from simplified evidence requirements in 2025-26 with letters from support workers or university welfare services now accepted alongside traditional documentation from social services.