UK maintenance loans rise with inflation for 2026-27 but remain below pre-cut levels
By Muntasir • Published Apr 17, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Education News & Policy
UK maintenance loans for 2026-27 rise with inflation, but campaigners say the increase still leaves support below its pre-2016 real-terms value.
💶 Maximum loan living at home: 9,118 pounds a year.
Maximum loan away from home outside London: 10,830 pounds.
Maximum loan away from home in London: 14,135 pounds.
You get the maximum loan only if household income is 25,000 pounds or below.
The loan tapers down as parental or partner income rises above that threshold.
Martin Lewis says the rise is welcome but still not enough to catch up on years of cuts.
2026-27 maintenance loan amounts
Student Finance England confirmed maximum maintenance loan amounts for full-time undergraduates starting or continuing courses in the 2026-27 academic year. These figures apply to dependent students on courses that started on or after August 1, 2016. Students who started courses before that date, or who count as independent students, fall under separate loan bands, so check your own start year on your student finance account rather than assume the table below applies to you.
| Living situation | Maximum loan 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Living with parents | 9,118 pounds |
| Away from home, outside London | 10,830 pounds |
| Away from home, in London | 14,135 pounds |
The increase keeps loans rising in line with inflation, matching the approach used for tuition fees this year, according to reports on the 2026-27 student finance settlement .
How household income affects your loan
You get the full maximum loan only if your household income, meaning your parents' or your partner's income depending on your circumstances, sits at 25,000 pounds a year or below. Above that threshold, your loan reduces as income rises. Even the highest-income households still qualify for a guaranteed minimum loan, so no student is left with nothing, but most students from middle and higher income households receive well below the maximum shown in the table above.
The government assesses your 2026-27 household income using your parents' earnings from the 2024-25 tax year, so changes in income this year do not affect what you receive this coming academic year.
The maintenance loan is separate from your tuition fee loan, which covers course fees directly and does not affect your living cost budget. Student Finance England pays the maintenance loan into your bank account in three installments across the academic year, timed to the start of each term, so you need to budget across each installment period rather than spend it all at once.
Why the rise is not enough, according to campaigners
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis welcomed the inflation-linked increase but warned it does not undo the damage from previous years, when loan increases lagged behind actual inflation and left real-terms support lower than before. An inflation-matched rise keeps the gap steady rather than closing it, so students from low-income families still receive less purchasing power for rent, food, and bills than students did before the earlier cuts took hold.
What this means for your budget
If you are applying for the first time or renewing your application for 2026-27, apply through gov.uk/student-finance as soon as applications open so your loan arrives at the start of term. Check the maximum figures above against your expected living costs in your specific city, since rent in London and other major UK student cities often outpaces even the highest maintenance loan band, meaning many students still need part-time work, savings, or family support to cover the gap. Reapply each year rather than assuming your loan carries over automatically, since your household income gets reassessed annually and your award can change even if your living situation stays the same.