Full-time undergraduate applications are now open for academic year 2026/27

New and continuing full-time undergraduate students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland can now apply for student finance for academic year 2026/27. Applications are also now open for tuition fee only funding.

Please encourage your students to apply now to make sure that their funding is in place for the start of their course.

Remember to let continuing students know they’ll also need to re-apply for their student finance through their online account.

Students can still apply for funding if they do not have a confirmed place on a course. They should give us the details of their preferred course and change it later if they need to.

Applying for funding

The easiest way for new students to apply is through their online account. This should only take around 30 minutes.

Students from England can find guidance on the SFE website.

Students from Wales can find guidance on the SFW website.

Students from Northern Ireland can find guidance on the SFNI website.

Tuition fee only

SFE tuition fee only funding students should apply using a paper form available to download from GOV.UK.

SFW tuition fee only students should apply on the SFW website.

SFNI tuition fee only students should apply on the SFNI website.

Students can also find further guidance on GOV.UK.

Application deadline dates to ensure funding in place for the start of their course

Please encourage students to apply before the deadline dates to ensure their funding is in place for the start of their course.

SFE

• New – 15 May 2026
• Returners – 19 June 2026

SFW

• New – 29 May 2026
• Returners – 26 June 2026

SFNI

• New – 30 April 2026
• Returners - 30 June 2026

Courses starting on or after 1 January 2027

Students from England whose course starts from January 2027 onwards will apply for funding through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

Applications for the LLE are expected to be available from September 2026. Find out more about the LLE on GOV.UK.