Student Finance England (SFE) is the government-backed service that provides financial support to eligible students from England studying at university. If you're starting a higher education course, understanding how SFE works is the single most important step you can take to make university affordable. This guide walks through every part of the process for 2025 entry.
The Two Main Types of Support
There are two core loans available through SFE. The first is the Tuition Fee Loan, which covers the full cost of your tuition fees and is paid directly to your university. You don't handle this money yourself — it never passes through your bank account. The maximum for 2025 is £9,535 per year for most courses at publicly-funded universities.
The second is the Maintenance Loan, which is designed to help with living costs such as rent, food, and transport. This is paid directly into your bank account in three instalments across the academic year. How much you receive depends on your household income, whether you live at home or away, and where in the country you study.
Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for SFE support, you must be a UK national or have settled status, normally live in England, and have been resident in the UK for at least three years before your course starts. You must also be studying a qualifying course — most full-time undergraduate degrees, foundation degrees, and some higher national diplomas qualify. EU students with settled or pre-settled status may also be eligible.
There are age considerations too. If you're 60 or over on the first day of your course, you can only apply for the Tuition Fee Loan — Maintenance Loans are not available for students aged 60+. However, at Rewrite Futures we support students aged 18 to 60, so most of our applicants are within the eligible bracket.
How to Apply
Applications open in the spring before your course starts. You apply online through the government's student finance portal. You'll need your National Insurance number, passport, and bank details. The application also asks for household income information, which is used to calculate your Maintenance Loan entitlement.
If you're under 25 and financially dependent on your parents, SFE will ask your parents to provide income evidence — usually their P60 or tax return. This income assessment determines whether you receive the maximum Maintenance Loan or a reduced amount.
Repayment: How It Works
One of the most common fears we hear is about debt. Here's the key thing to remember: Student Finance loans are not like commercial loans. Repayments are income-contingent, meaning you only repay once your income exceeds a threshold, and the amount is a percentage of your earnings above that threshold — not a fixed monthly payment.
For students starting in 2025 on Plan 5, you'll repay 9% of anything you earn above £25,000 per year. If you earn £30,000, for example, you'd repay £450 per year — about £37.50 per month. If your income drops below the threshold, repayments stop automatically. Any outstanding balance is written off after 40 years.
Deadlines and Tips
Apply as early as possible — the deadline for new full-time students is typically mid-May, but you can apply much earlier. Applying early means your funding is more likely to be in place for the start of term. Also make sure to reapply each year; SFE support isn't automatically renewed.
At Rewrite Futures, we can help you navigate the entire application at no cost. If you have questions about what you're entitled to, call us on 0121 752 7133 and we'll walk you through it.