Student finance for EU citizens: UK study loans and settled status

In short

• Student finance for EU citizens: in England, with settled or pre-settled status, you may be able to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, and with settled status, a home in England and 3 years of continuous residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, also for a Maintenance Loan for living costs (as of November 2026, GOV.UK eligibility checker). The 3 years are counted before the first day of your first academic year (for the LLE, before the first day of the month your course starts), apart from temporary absences such as holidays. With pre-settled status, for an EU national, the checker points to a Tuition Fee Loan only (migrant workers: see below).
• Two systems. Courses starting before 1 January 2027 follow the rules and amounts for the 2026/27 academic year. For most courses starting from 1 January 2027, including most undergraduate courses and certain others, you apply through the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), also for a September 2027 start (academic year 2027/28): a different account, amounts and repayment (Plan 5) (GOV.UK). Check whether your course is covered by the LLE. Applications for 2027/28 will open in spring 2027 (GOV.UK).
• Amounts in England. Courses starting before 1 January 2027: a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,790 a year in 2026/27 (GOV.UK). LLE: up to £9,790 for every 120 credits, up to £39,160 in total, plus a Maintenance Loan of up to £15,415 for your course year when studying up to 30 weeks (GOV.UK).
• Repayment: on Plan 5 (including LLE) the threshold is £25,000 a year, you repay 9% of income above it, and the loan is written off after 40 years (GOV.UK). Thresholds change every year on 6 April, so from April 2027 they may be different.
• UCAS for 2027: the equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses is 13 January 2027, 6pm UK time. The final date for 2027 entry applications is 23 September 2027, 6pm (UCAS).

Which student finance system applies to your course

Student finance in England can include a Tuition Fee Loan for the tuition fees charged by your university or college and a Maintenance Loan for living costs (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). Repayment normally starts after you finish or leave your course, once you earn over a certain amount. For part-time courses lasting longer than 4 years and starting before 1 January 2027, it can begin while you are still studying, in the April that falls 4 years after the course started (GOV.UK).

For most courses starting from 1 January 2027, including most undergraduate courses and certain others, you apply through the LLE, which replaces previous higher education funding and some further education funding (GOV.UK). Other routes include Master's and Doctoral courses not covered by the LLE and the next year of a course that started before 1 January 2027 (GOV.UK).

GOV.UK warns that LLE rates are based on current amounts and may change. Our guide to Child Trust Fund and Junior ISA covers the Child Trust Fund account.

Extra help (courses starting before 1 January 2027): only full-time students may be able to apply for a Childcare Grant and Parents' Learning Allowance (with children) and an Adult Dependants' Grant (with a financially dependent adult). People with a disability or a specific learning difficulty may be able to apply for Disabled Students' Allowance. Our guide to school for your child in the UK covers schooling for children.

Can an EU citizen get student finance: settled status, pre-settled status and a certificate of application

The GOV.UK guide sends people with a different nationality to the eligibility checker (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). Its result does not guarantee a loan: you must be able to provide the right evidence (checker). Our guide to the EU Settlement Scheme explains what settled and pre-settled status are. Results for an EU national, course starting before 1 January 2027:

• settled status, a home in England and 3 years in a row in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the first day of your first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays): you may be able to apply for both loans (full support), subject to the other requirements;
• settled status, not 3 years in a row in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, but 3 years in a row in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar or British overseas territories before the first day of your first academic year: depending on where you lived in the 3 years before the start of your course, both loans or a Tuition Fee Loan only;
• pre-settled status, EU national or their family member: a Tuition Fee Loan only;
• pre-settled status, migrant worker or their family member: depending on where you lived in the 3 years before the start of your course, a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan;
• certificate of application: if you have applied for settled status, you may be eligible for both loans; if you have applied for pre-settled status, for a Tuition Fee Loan only. If the status you are given differs from the one you applied for, your eligibility changes.

A migrant worker (page covers courses starting before 1 January 2027, GOV.UK) must meet all of these conditions: be an EEA or Swiss national who has lived in the EEA or Switzerland for at least 3 years before the start of the course, be living in England on the first day of the first academic year of the course, plan to study a course that qualifies for student finance, and be working or self-employed in the UK, and working enough to reasonably support yourself throughout your studies. The first application is made on a PN1 form.

From 1 January 2027 (LLE) you must be under 60 on the first day of your course to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan (GOV.UK). Both loans with settled status require a home in England and 3 years of continuous residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the first day of the month your course starts (apart from temporary absences). With pre-settled status you may only be eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan, and for a migrant worker with pre-settled status the checker shows either both loans or a Tuition Fee Loan only, depending on where you lived in the last 3 years.

What financial help you can get depends on the course you study, where you live while you are studying and your individual circumstances (as of November 2026, Citizens Advice), so if your situation is unclear, use free advice (see "Where to get help").

How and when to apply for student finance

Course starting before 1 January 2027 (2026/27). If you are eligible for both loans (full support), you can apply online. If you are applying as a migrant worker for the first time, use a PN1 form (see above). If you are only eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan ("tuition fee only funding"), apply by post (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). The following steps are for new students who are eligible to apply online:

1. Set up a student finance online account.
2. Sign in and complete the online application.
3. Include household income if needed. For 2026/27 this means income from the 2024/25 tax year.
4. Send in proof of identity, if needed.

You can still apply up to 9 months after the first day of the academic year of your course. GOV.UK sources give different processing times, so we do not give a number; current position: Student Finance England page.

Course starting from 1 January 2027 (LLE). Applications for courses starting from 1 August 2027 will open in spring 2027 (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). You need a GOV.UK One Login account and a new account for LLE funding, even if you already have a Student Finance England account. You apply separately for each course, and again every year if your course lasts longer than a year. The deadline is whichever is sooner of two dates: the last day of the ninth month of your course year or your course or module end date.

How student loan repayment works

You cannot choose your repayment plan (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). Repayment normally starts no earlier than the April after you finish or leave your course (for the exception, see above).

Thresholds change every year on 6 April and GOV.UK does not give the new amounts, so from April 2027 they may be different. A repayment is deducted if your income goes over the weekly or monthly threshold for your plan; if your annual income was below the annual threshold, you can ask for a refund after the tax year. On Plans 1, 2, 4 and 5 you repay 9% of your income over the threshold. Plan 5 loans are written off 40 years, and Plan 2 loans 30 years, after the April you were first due to repay. The self-employed repay through Self Assessment, see our guide to income tax in the UK.

UCAS deadlines for 2027

Your application should be with UCAS by one of these dates (as of November 2026, UCAS):

• 15 October 2026, 6pm: equal consideration date for Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine/science (already passed);
• 13 January 2027, 6pm: equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses;
• 23 September 2027, 6pm: final date for 2027 entry applications.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland. For a student from Scotland, GOV.UK describes a different process from the one for students in England (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). If you applied to the Student Awards Agency Scotland, you repay on Plan 4 (GOV.UK). We do not give amounts or tuition fee rules for Scotland: check SAAS for information.

Wales (Student Finance Wales, full-time courses, amounts for the 2026/27 academic year, as of November 2026): a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,790 a year, regardless of your household income. You must apply no later than 9 months after the start of your academic year (Student Finance Wales).

Northern Ireland (Student Finance NI, full-time courses, amounts for the 2026/27 academic year, as of November 2026): a Tuition Fee Loan is up to £4,985 if you study in NI, where tuition fees are lower than in the rest of the UK. A Maintenance Loan is up to £6,471 living with your parents, up to £8,352 away from your parents outside London and up to £11,699 living away from your parents in London (Student Finance NI).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a confirmed place at a university to apply?

No. For courses starting before 1 January 2027 you do not need a confirmed place (as of November 2026, GOV.UK), and for the LLE you do not need a confirmed offer from a university or college (GOV.UK).

Will a student loan affect my credit score?

Student loans do not appear on credit reports and do not affect your credit score. However, lenders may consider them during affordability checks for other types of borrowing, such as a mortgage (as of November 2026, GOV.UK).

What happens to my loan if I leave the UK, for example for Poland?

You must tell the Student Loans Company if you leave the UK for more than 3 months (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). You are expected to keep repaying unless you can give proof that your overseas income is below the threshold, for example a bank statement. Repayment thresholds differ for each country. If you do not tell them, you could build up arrears that you pay back on top of your regular repayments.

Where to get help

• Student Finance England (applications, including the LLE; as of November 2026): telephone 0300 100 0607, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (GOV.UK).
• Student Loans Company (repayment): England, Scotland and Northern Ireland 0300 100 0611, Wales 0300 100 0370, outside the UK +44 141 243 3660; Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (GOV.UK).
• Citizens Advice (England; as of November 2026): free, independent and confidential advice online, over the phone and in person (Citizens Advice). Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848, usually 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, not available on public holidays; calls are free from mobiles and landlines; in Wales there is a separate Advicelink phone line (Citizens Advice).