One week at a glance. Drag a card onto a day to schedule, between days to move, or back to the queue to unschedule.
In 2026/27, the maximum maintenance loan for a London student reaches £13,762. Yet most students claim far less than they are entitled to, simply because they do not know how the calculation works.
That gap is not a small rounding error. It can be the difference between managing and not managing.
The maintenance loan is not a flat rate. It scales with where you live, your household income, and whether you are studying inside or outside London. A student living away from home in London qualifies for a significantly higher ceiling than one studying elsewhere in England. The system is designed this way deliberately, because Student Finance England does account for the cost of living, even if it does not shout about it.
What many people miss is that your entitlement is calculated against your household income, and the thresholds are more generous than most assume. If your household earns under a certain level, you receive closer to the maximum. If it sits higher, the loan tapers, but does not disappear. Understanding exactly where your household falls is what turns a vague worry into a real number you can plan around.
This matters particularly if you are a mature student, a parent returning to study, or someone who has been out of formal education for years. The figures are public. The rules are fixed. You just need to know where to look.
Full analysis: https://unistart.app/blog/maximum-uk-student-finance-maintenance-loan-2026-27
Run the numbers for your own situation and see exactly what you could receive. Check what you could receive at https://unistart.app/funding.
In 2026/27, the maximum maintenance loan for a London student reaches £13,762 — yet most students claim far less than they are entitled to.
That gap is not bad luck. It is a calculation problem.
The maintenan ce loan is means-tested against household income. The more your household earns, the lower your entitlement. But many applicants do not realise that "household income" is assessed at the time of application, not based on last year's figures. If your income has dropped, you can apply to reassess — and your loan can go up.
Where you live also shifts the number significantly. The system sets three bands: living at home, living away from home outside London, and living away from home in London. London carries the highest maximum because the cost of living there is factored directly into the formula. If you are studying in the capital and living out of halls or a private let, you should be applying in that top band.
One more thing most people miss: the loan does not have to cover everything alone. Grants, bursaries, and institutional support sit alongside it. The maintenance loan is the floor, not the ceiling.
Full analysis: https://unistart.app/blog/maximum-uk-student-finance-maintenance-loan-2026-27
If you want to know exactly what you are likely to receive based on your household income and where you plan to live, run the numbers now. Check what you could receive at https://unistart.app/funding.