Skip to main content
Ready Study Global
Get free guidance

Ready Study Global

Get free guidance

Student Finance England guidance

Understand the route before you plan around the funding.

Check the questions that shape a possible Student Finance England route, including residence, course, previous study and when your course starts.

Check my possible route Compare the two systems

This page is scoped to Student Finance England. Ready Study Global provides general education guidance, not a funding decision or regulated financial, legal or immigration advice. Student Finance England makes the formal funding decision.

Normally live outside England?

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man use different systems. The Guidance Finder points you towards the relevant official route instead of treating this as a failed application.

Course-start cutover

One date. Two funding systems.

A general statement about the 2026 to 2027 academic year is not enough. The correct route depends on the actual course start date and whether the course falls within the new system.

Current system

Course starts before 1 January 2027

Use the current undergraduate Student Finance England rules. The assessment considers the course and provider, previous study, age, nationality or residency category and the wider residence test.

  • Eligible new full-time students may receive a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,790 in 2026 to 2027.
  • The Maintenance Loan can be up to £14,135 when living away from parents in London in 2026 to 2027.
  • Some routes may provide full support, while others may provide tuition-fee-only funding.

Maximum amounts are not typical or guaranteed. Maintenance support depends on eligibility, household income, living arrangements and course circumstances.

New system

Course starts on or after 1 January 2027

Relevant courses and modules move to Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding. The new system uses credits, can support more flexible study and applies a lifetime Tuition Fee Loan entitlement subject to previous study and the official rules.

  • Most qualifications from levels 4 to 6 and some level 7 courses may be included.
  • The number of credits studied affects the funding assessment.
  • Applications for relevant January 2027 starts open through the new route from September 2026.
Read the official LLE overview opens in a new tab

Figures and cutover information reviewed against GOV.UK on 3 August 2026. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change.

The wider assessment

Status alone cannot answer the question.

A credible route check must consider the whole situation. That is why the old status-only checker has been removed rather than given a new visual design.

01

Where your home is normally based

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies use different student-finance systems.

02

Nationality and residency

Status matters, but it must be considered with residence history, relevant dates and the official category that applies.

03

Course and provider

The course, level, study mode and university, college or training provider must meet the applicable funding rules.

04

Previous higher-education study

Earlier study or public funding can change how much support remains, although exceptions may apply.

05

Age and personal circumstances

Age, household income, living arrangements, dependants and disability-related needs can affect the support available.

06

Course start date

The route changes for relevant courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, when the Lifelong Learning Entitlement begins.

Controlled Guidance Finder

Five questions. No instant eligibility verdict.

The shared finder considers more than status and uses cautious outcomes. It may identify a possible route, an official check or the need for human review.

Open the Guidance Finder
  1. 01 Your broad nationality or residency-status category
  2. 02 Where your home is normally based
  3. 03 The type of study you are considering
  4. 04 Any previous higher-education study
  5. 05 When the course is expected to start

Do not upload passports, status documents, reference numbers or sensitive evidence into the initial finder.

Use the official nationality and residency checker opens in a new tab

How it works

Guidance first. Official assessment second.

The aim is to organise the right questions and route, not to replace Student Finance England or the evidence process.

  1. 01

    Answer five broad questions

    Share your status category, usual residence, intended study type, previous study and expected start period.

  2. 02

    Review the possible route

    The Guidance Finder explains which official system or additional check may be relevant. It does not decide eligibility.

  3. 03

    Confirm through the official process

    Use the relevant Student Finance England tools and submit evidence directly when the application route is open.

What we can help with

Prepare a route that can be checked properly.

  • Organise the broad questions before you use the official process.
  • Explain the difference between full support and tuition-fee-only funding.
  • Compare course and application options without assuming funding.
  • Identify which information may need confirmation from the provider or official body.

What we do not decide

We do not decide Student Finance eligibility, home-fee status, immigration status or whether a university or course provider will admit you.

What remains official

Student Finance England assesses funding. Universities and colleges assess fee status and admission. Public authorities make immigration decisions.

Official tools

Use GOV.UK for the formal checks and application.

These links are the source of truth for eligibility routes, estimates and applications. Each opens the relevant official page in a new tab.

01

Nationality and residency checker

Check whether the official tool indicates full support, tuition-fee-only funding or another route.

Opens in a new tab
02

Student finance calculator

Estimate the support you may receive after checking that the current system and course route apply.

Opens in a new tab
03

Apply for current student finance

Use the official application route for eligible courses starting before 1 January 2027.

Opens in a new tab
04

LLE overview for 2027 starts

Read the official guidance for relevant courses and modules starting on or after 1 January 2027.

Opens in a new tab

Your next step

Find the route that still needs an official decision.

Answer five short questions. We will help you understand the next realistic check without presenting a possible route as guaranteed funding.

Start the Guidance Finder Explore course options