Learners in England can now apply for student finance through a new system, following the launch of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has confirmed that students planning to start a course between 1 January and 31 July 2027 can now apply for the LLE.
The LLE replaces the previous undergraduate funding system for students who are eligible through Student Finance England (SFE). Some postgraduate level courses will also be funded under the new system, such as postgraduate healthcare and teaching qualifications. Additionally, the LLE will also fund some courses previously funded by the Advanced Learner Loan (ALL) system.
The introduction of the LLE represents a significant change to the student funding system in England by creating a single, flexible funding system to support learners seeking to fit study around working and family life.
You need a GOV.UK One Login account to apply for the LLE. You can create one if you do not already have one. Start your LLE application
You’ll be directed to GOV.UK One Login to sign in or create an account. You’ll be told when you sign in if you need to prove your identity.
– Extra help such as grants or an allowance if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children
The amount of support you can get depends on the number of credits you study. All courses that qualify for funding will be worth a certain number of credits. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits.
Students who haven’t received student finance before can get a standard entitlement of Tuition Fee Loan of up to £39,160. This is equivalent to approximately 480 credits. Depending on the course or modules you study, you may be able to fund more than 480 credits with this based on how much your provider charges.
If you have studied and received student finance before, this will be considered when working out how much tuition fee funding you can get through the LLE.
Maintenance Loans up to a maximum of up to £15,415 per course year are available depending on factors such as: household income, where you live while studying and the number of credits you’re studying. The amount of Maintenance Loan you can get could change in each year that you study.
Derek Ross, Executive Director for HE/FE reform, said: “The Lifelong Learning Entitlement represents a significant reform to higher education funding, giving people the flexibility to access education throughout their working lives and build the skills to support the growth in our economy.
“From understanding eligibility, applying for funding and managing your account online, we’ve designed a process that supports learners every step of the way. I am delighted the initial application service is now available for learners planning to start their studies in January 2027.”
Loans only need to be repaid once you have finished or left your course or individual module in line with Repayment Plan 5 earning thresholds. Find out more about what you’ll repay. Any loan that you take out will have interest applied from the day the first loan payment is made. Find out more about how interest works. Any outstanding loan(s) through the LLE will be cancelled 40 years after the April you are first due to start repaying.
Sources and further reading
GOV.UK — News & Communications — original report · Original publication: 2026-10-30
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