Maintenance Loans for living cost

Q1: Will loans to help students with living costs still be available when LLE is brought in?

A: Maintenance funding will be provided for all courses and modules that qualify for LLE loan funding, if the course is not a distance learning course. Maintenance loans are designed to help students with living costs while they study. There is a maximum limit based on a student’s course features, living location, personal eligibility and household income. Additional information on how maintenance support for living costs at colleges and universities will change when the lifelong learning entitlement launches is available on GOV.UK.

Q2: What courses, in scope of the LLE, will attract maintenance support?

A: Maintenance loans will be available for all designated courses and modules that are not distance learning courses.
Maintenance support will be subject to personal criteria such as household income. Criteria will broadly remain the same as now.

• As now, maintenance support will be available for distance learning students who are unable to attend a course in person for a reason related to their disability.

There is a maximum entitlement based on a student’s course, location and personal circumstances. Entitlement will also be linked to a learner’s tuition fee loan balance. Learners taking fewer than 120 credits in a course year will have their loan reduced proportionally to the number of credits in the year.

Extra financial help, which is subject to separate qualifying criteria, will also be available for:

• learners with disabilities
• support with childcare
• Adult Dependants’ Grants
• travel grants

For new learners under the LLE, targeted support grants will be made available for those studying on a full-time basis (equivalent to at least 120 credits per course year). This covers grants for dependents and travel grants.

The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) will also continue to be available for those studying 30 or more credits per course under the LLE.

For more information on the extra financial help please visit Student finance if your course starts on or after 1 January 2027: What extra financial help you can get - GOV.UK

For more information on Maintenance Loans, please visit Maintenance loans for living costs in the lifelong learning entitlement - GOV.UK

Q3: How is the maintenance loan entitlement calculated?

A: The Maintenance Loan entitlement process is based on:

• calculation of the maximum maintenance support based on factors such as the learner’s age and location, and whether it is their final year of study
• adjustment of the maximum entitlement according to the learner’s household income
• adjustments based on the intensity of study and whether the learner is enrolled in multiple courses simultaneously.