Student maintenance loans in England to rise in line with inflation next year – but Martin Lewis warns it's 'still not enough'

The Government has committed to the changes to maintenance loans every year going forward, while the tuition fee rises will be in place for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years – though the Government says it will put legislation in place to automatically link increases to inflation after this point.

However, the exact impact of these changes is currently unclear because the Government is yet to confirm which measure of inflation it will use to calculate the increases – it says this information will be announced in the Autumn Budget on 26 November.

This academic year, both tuition fees and maintenance loans in England rose by 3.1% in line with a prediction for the measure of inflation equivalent to the all-items Retail Prices Index excluding mortgage interest payments, known as RPIX, for the middle of that academic year.

Martin Lewis: Living loan rise 'still not enough to catch up on what it needs to be'

Commenting on X on Monday 20 October, MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis said:

Maintenance loans will rise in line with inflation from 2026/27

Maintenance loans are variable, depending on where you live while at university and your household income. For the 2025/26 academic year, loans ranged from just under £4,000 to over £13,500 for students from England.

For new students starting from 2026/27, and existing students continuing to study from 2026/27, maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation. You'll be able to apply for the new, higher amount as part of your student finance application for the 2026/27 academic year.

However, despite the Government's announcement, inflation-linked increases to living loans still won't make up for years' worth of real terms cuts, which are especially detrimental to those from low-income/non-traditional university backgrounds who rely on the full loan as there are no parental funds to support them. This is something Martin has pushed to be changed, writing to both the last Chancellor and the current Chancellor.

Alongside changes to living loans, the Government has confirmed plans for the the return of non-repayable maintenance grants by the end of the current Parliament (expected in 2029). Abolished in 2016, the revived grants are designed to support lower-income students on courses that are "aligned with the Government's missions", and will be funded by a new charge for international students. Further details will be published at the Budget.

Tuition fees are also set to increase by inflation from next year

Currently, the maximum tuition fee that can be charged for those studying full-time in England is £9,535, having risen by £285 from 2024/25.

Starting from the next academic year, maximum fees will increase with inflation for full-time and part-time students. We don't yet know what measure of inflation the Government will use for these new rises, but if it's the same one it used for fee increases this year, this could see maximum tuition fees rise by roughly £420 a year to about £9,955.

• For new students, the Government says the maximum increase will only apply to those enrolling in "designated" undergraduate courses and accelerated degrees, including students starting initial teacher training courses that lead to 'Qualified Teacher Status'.

• For existing students, unless your university has told you that it won't put up your tuition fees during your course, it can increase them to the new maximum. In practice this means most students are likely to see fees rise in the next academic year – though you'll be able to borrow more on your tuition fee loan to cover the difference.

Important: The amount that tuition fees in England rise by WON'T impact the amount most people repay each year after leaving university. This is because the amount you currently repay (9% of any income over a specific threshold) solely depends on what you earn, NOT on what you borrow. See our guide for full info on how student loans in England work for more on this.

What's happening elsewhere around the UK

Tuition fees and maintenance loans depend on where in the UK students are from, and where in the UK they're studying. Here's what the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland told us about their plans from 2026/27 onwards:

• Northern Ireland: Tuition fees for home students will rise by 2.7% in line with RPIX to a maximum of £4,985 in the 2026/27 academic year. Maintenance loans for new and existing full-time undergraduate students from Northern Ireland rose by 20% from the 2025/26 academic year.
  
  We don't yet know whether or how maintenance loans will change for 2026/27 – the Northern Ireland Executive told us that it's currently "engaging with stakeholders" to agree on the "scope and approach" of student support going forward.

• Scotland: The Scottish Government has told us that it is "currently considering the impact" of the announcement for both Scottish students studying in the rest of the UK and students from the rest of the UK studying in Scotland. However, it said it is "resolute in its commitment to free tuition" for Scottish students studying in Scotland. In 2025/26, tuition fees were raised to a maximum of £9,535 a year for non-Scottish students.

• Wales: The Welsh Government is yet to confirm its position on tuition fees and maintenance loans in 2026/27. It says annual changes to maintenance support will be announced "shortly", while it is "currently reviewing" the decision to increase tuition fees in England. Maximum tuition fees rose by 3.1% to £9,535 a year from 2025/26, while maintenance loans and grants rose by 1.6%.

For full info on how the systems work in the current 2025/26 academic year, see our guides on student loans in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. To find out how much support you could receive towards your living costs, use our University Parental Contribution calculator.