Quick answer: From 1 January 2027, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) replaces current funding for many courses in England, with a lifetime tuition entitlement of up to £39,160. Applications open at the end of October 2026. Care leavers will get the maximum maintenance loan without a household income check, tuition fees rise to £10,050 in 2027/28, and a new maintenance grant of up to £1,000 arrives in 2028/29 for priority subjects.
If you’re in Year 12 or 13, or thinking about returning to study, these changes affect what you’ll get and how you apply. Here’s what has been confirmed.
Timeline
| When | What changes |
|---|---|
| 2026/27 academic year | Interest on Plan 2 and Postgraduate loans capped at 6% |
| End of October 2026 | Applications open for courses starting from 1 January 2027 under the LLE |
| 1 January 2027 | Lifelong Learning Entitlement starts |
| 2027/28 academic year | Tuition fee cap rises to £10,050 (£12,060 for accelerated degrees) |
| 2028/29 academic year | New maintenance grant for students on priority courses |
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement
The LLE is a single funding account for your whole life, rather than a loan tied to one degree.
- Up to £39,160 for tuition – roughly four years of full-time study, or 480 credits.
- Credit-based: a full-time year of a bachelor’s degree is usually worth 120 credits. You can use the entitlement for full degrees, and in time for individual modules and shorter courses.
- Levels 4 to 6 (and some level 7 courses) are covered.
- Repayments work like Plan 5: 9% of income over £25,000, written off 40 years after you’re first due to repay.
- Interest is charged at RPI – 4.1% at the moment – from the first payment.
- You need to reapply each year of a multi-year course.
Help with living costs is still available for eligible courses. How much you get will depend on your course and how intensively you study. The details for courses starting from January 2027 are on GOV.UK.
Care leavers: full loan, no income check
From 2027, students who are care leavers will automatically be entitled to the maximum maintenance loan every year of their course. Their household income won’t be assessed, and they’ll be treated as independent students.
You’ll usually count as a care leaver if you were in local authority care for at least 13 weeks, the care ended after you turned 16, and you didn’t return to live with your parents before the course.
Higher tuition fees
The tuition fee cap in England is £9,790 in 2026/27 and rises to £10,050 in 2027/28 – the first time it has passed £10,000. The tuition fee loan rises to match, so you still won’t pay upfront.
A new maintenance grant from 2028/29
The government has confirmed that non-repayable maintenance grants will return in England:
- £1,000 a year for students from households earning £25,000 or less
- A minimum of £500 for household incomes between £25,000 and £30,000
- For first- and second-year students on priority courses linked to the government’s industrial strategy
- Starting in the 2028/29 academic year, funded by a levy on international student fees
The full list of priority courses hasn’t been published yet. We’ll update this guide when it is.
What this means if you’re applying for 2027
- September 2027 starters will apply in spring 2027. Maintenance loan rates for 2027/28 haven’t been announced yet; our calculator shows 2026/27 figures until they are.
- Adults returning to study from January 2027 should look closely at the LLE – it’s designed for people who study in chunks around work.
- Care leavers should make sure their status is recorded on their application.
- Anyone likely to start in 2028 should watch for the priority course list – a £1,000 grant each year makes a real difference.