UK Disburses £5.7bn in Student Loans for 2026/27 Term

The United Kingdom has paid £5.7bn in student finance for the first term of the 2026/27 academic year, as reported by the Student Loans Company. This amount includes £3bn in maintenance loans paid directly to students in September and £2.7bn in tuition fee payments released to education providers in October.

The company indicated that most first-term payments had been completed and is continuing to support students who applied after the deadline. These late applicants initially received only the minimum level of student finance, which includes a minimum maintenance loan and a tuition fee loan.

The remaining funding will be provided as a top-up once all necessary application details are confirmed. The processing of applications can take up to four weeks, and students are encouraged to apply early.

Additionally, students starting courses on or after January 1, 2027, will apply for student finance through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding scheme, with applications expected to open by the end of October 2026. The figures provided are provisional, with full-year figures to be published on November 26, 2026.