You are usually eligible for Student Finance England if you are a UK national, Irish citizen or have settled status, your home is in England, you have lived in the UK for the three years before your course, and you are taking your first higher education qualification on an eligible course. Refugees and some EU Settlement Scheme holders also qualify.
What are the four eligibility tests?
Student Finance England looks at four things: who you are (nationality and immigration status), where you have lived, what you have studied before, and the course and provider you have chosen. You need to pass all four. Age matters much less than most people think, as there is no upper age limit for the Tuition Fee Loan on courses starting before January 2027.
- Status: UK or Irish citizen, settled status, refugee status, or another eligible category.
- Residence: home in England and three years' residence in the UK and Islands before the course.
- Previous study: usually your first higher education qualification.
- Course: an eligible course at an approved provider.
What is the three-year residency rule?
For full support, you must normally have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years immediately before the first day of the first academic year of your course. This is called ordinary residence. Temporary absences, such as holidays or short stays abroad, do not usually break it. Your home must also be in England, because students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland apply to their own funding bodies.
For most UK nationals who have always lived here, this test is automatic. It matters more if you have recently moved to England, returned from working abroad, or arrived in the UK as an adult. If you returned from abroad, you may still qualify if you were away temporarily, for example because you, a parent or a partner were working overseas.
Can you get student finance with settled or pre-settled status?
Yes, in many cases. People with settled status (indefinite leave) under the EU Settlement Scheme are treated like UK nationals if they meet the three-year residence rule. Pre-settled status can also give access to funding, but the package depends on your circumstances. For example, EU, EEA and Swiss workers and their family members with settled or pre-settled status are listed as eligible categories for the Maintenance Loan.
The new rules for courses starting from 1 January 2027 are clearer: gov.uk says that with pre-settled status you may only be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan, not a Maintenance Loan. If you hold pre-settled status, check your own case on the gov.uk eligibility checker before relying on living-cost support.
Which other residency categories qualify?
| Status | Usual position |
|---|---|
| UK national or Irish citizen, 3 years' UK residence | Full support |
| Settled status / indefinite leave to remain | Full support if 3 years' residence |
| Refugee status (and family members) | Eligible, no 3-year rule wait from grant of status |
| Pre-settled status (EUSS) | Depends on category; LLE courses from 2027: may be Tuition Fee Loan only |
| Long residence (non-UK national) | May qualify: 7 years if under 18, or 20 years or half your life if 18 or over |
| Student visa | Not eligible for Student Finance England |
Is there an age limit for student finance?
For courses starting before 1 January 2027, there is no upper age limit for the Tuition Fee Loan or for grants such as the Childcare Grant and Adult Dependants' Grant. Maintenance Loans are also available at any age, but if you are 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of your course, you get a reduced, income-assessed loan of up to £4,582 a year in 2026/27.
This changes for courses and modules starting from 1 January 2027 under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. You must be under 60 on the first day of your course to get a Tuition Fee Loan, although people aged 60 or over may still get a living-costs loan. If you are close to 60 and thinking about studying, the start date of your course matters. Our guide for mature students explains more.
Can you get student finance if you have studied before?
Usually, funding is for your first higher education qualification, even if you paid for an earlier course yourself. But previous study does not always rule you out. Student Finance England works out your tuition funding with a simple formula: length of your new course, plus one year, minus any years of previous higher education study. Part of a year counts as a full year.
For example, if you studied for one year of a degree and dropped out, then start a new three-year degree, you get 3 + 1 - 1 = 3 years of Tuition Fee Loan. If you studied for two years before, you get 2 years of Tuition Fee Loan, normally for the last two years of the new course. Maintenance Loans are usually paid for every year of the new course. If you left your first course for compelling personal reasons such as illness, you can ask for an extra year.
What if you already have a degree, HND or foundation degree?
If you have an HNC, HND or foundation degree, you may get funding to top up to an Honours degree; our guide to HNDs, foundation years and top-ups explains how. If you already hold an Honours degree, funding for a second degree is limited to certain cases, such as part-time degrees in some STEM subjects, medicine, architecture, and healthcare courses such as nursing.
Which courses and providers are eligible?
Eligible full-time courses include first degrees, foundation degrees, CertHE, DipHE, HNCs, HNDs, Initial Teacher Training, integrated master's degrees and Level 4 or 5 courses with Higher Technical Qualification approval. Part-time courses must have a course intensity of at least 25%. Degree apprenticeships are not funded through student finance because your employer pays.
The provider also matters. Universities and colleges registered with the Office for Students can offer designated courses, but private providers without an access and participation plan have lower fee and loan caps. Our Tuition Fee Loan guide explains the different caps. From January 2027, the provider must be registered with the Office for Students for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding.
Figures in this guide are for the 2026/27 academic year and are general information, not financial advice. Confirm the latest details on gov.uk before you apply.
What should you do next?
If you meet the tests, the next step is choosing a course and applying; our application guide shows how. If you do not have traditional qualifications, read about studying without qualifications, browse courses, or message us on WhatsApp. Our course guidance is free.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Student finance, who qualifies
- Student Finance England practitioners: Maintenance Loan eligibility
- GOV.UK: Eligibility if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027
- DfE: Support with living and other costs, 2026 to 2027 academic year
- DfE: Changes to tuition fees, 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028