For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, you may need to apply for student finance through the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). GOV.UK says it replaces previous higher education and some further education funding and covers most undergraduate courses. This guide follows the official gov.uk pages.
It is general information, not a decision about you. Student Finance England makes the funding decisions, and universities decide on admission.
What the LLE is and what you can get
- Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, depending on your residency category.
- Funding is based on credits. A full-time year of a bachelor's degree is usually 120 credits, and you are normally eligible when you study between 30 and 180 credits a year.
- A lifetime Tuition Fee Loan total of £39,160 — around four years of full-time study (480 credits). Some courses can get extra.
- Eligible courses include bachelor's degrees, foundation degrees, a foundation year that is part of a bachelor's degree, and many Level 4–6 courses. Your university must be registered with the Office for Students.
When to apply
GOV.UK says you can apply from the end of October 2026 for courses that start from January 2027. You need to apply for each course you study, and if your course lasts longer than a year you reapply each year.
"I already have a degree" — can I still get funding?
GOV.UK says you may be eligible even if you have studied before, including funding for a qualification at the same or a lower level, such as a second undergraduate degree.
The catch is the limit. Government funding you received earlier for tuition fees is usually deducted from the £39,160 total. If you did not pay fees when you studied, the amount you would have paid is deducted at today's equivalent value. If you have already used the full amount, you usually cannot get more.
From October 2026, if you create a student finance account for LLE funding, GOV.UK says you can see an estimate of how much Tuition Fee Loan you can borrow — you do not need to apply to see it.
What about a degree from another country?
This is the question many people in the UK ask, especially those who studied in Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe. Be careful with what you read online. The GOV.UK pages we checked do not clearly say how a degree you studied abroad is counted against the £39,160 limit. We will not guess.
What you can do: create your student finance account and look at the estimate, ask Student Finance England directly, and ask the university how they see your previous study. We can help you prepare the questions in a free consultation.
Who can apply: residency and age
- UK national, Irish citizen or settled status: both loans are possible if your home is in England and you have lived continuously in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before the course starts (temporary absences such as holidays aside).
- Pre-Settled status: GOV.UK says you may be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan only, not a Maintenance Loan.
- Other nationalities: it depends on your residency status and length of residence. Use the GOV.UK eligibility checker.
- Age: you must be under 60 on the first day of the course to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
Repayment under the LLE
For courses starting from 1 January 2027 you start repaying when you earn over £25,000 a year, and only after you finish or leave the course. GOV.UK says loans are written off 40 years after the April you are first due to repay, and interest is currently 4.1%. Repayments are taken from earnings above the threshold, and you do not usually repay grants, allowances or bursaries.