In short
- For courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, you may be able to get student finance for a second degree, if you have some funding left and meet the other rules.
- You can currently borrow up to £39,160 for tuition across your working life. Tuition funding you’ve had before is usually taken off.
- If you finished a 3‑year degree with student finance, you’ll usually have about £9,790 left, which is about 1 year of full‑time study.
- Some subjects, such as nursing, medicine, social work and teacher training, may get extra funding.
What’s changed
Under the old rules, you usually couldn’t get a student loan for a qualification at the same level as one you already had, or a lower one. That stopped most graduates getting funding for a second degree.
From 1 January 2027 that rule goes. You may now be able to get funding after previous study, including for a second undergraduate degree, as long as you have entitlement left.
The new rules apply to courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. If your course starts before then, the old rules still apply.
How much you have left
Start with £39,160, the current figure. Any government funding you’ve had for tuition fees before is usually taken off, including earlier tuition fee loans. If you didn’t have to pay tuition fees when you studied, what you would have paid is taken off at today’s value.
| What you’ve studied before | Roughly what’s left |
|---|---|
| No university study | £39,160, about 4 years |
| 1 year of a degree, then left | About 3 years’ worth |
| 2 years of a degree, then left | About 2 years’ worth |
| A 3‑year degree | About 1 year’s worth (£9,790) |
| A 4‑year degree | Usually nothing |
These are rough guides, based on full‑time study at the highest fee in 2026 to 2027. Your own figure depends on what you studied, when, and what it cost.
Check your exact balance
Since October 2026, you can get an estimate of how much tuition fee loan you have left by creating a student finance account on GOV.UK, without applying. You need a new account for courses from January 2027, even if you’ve had student finance before.
If what’s left doesn’t cover your course
The most you can get for 120 credits, about 1 year of full‑time study, is £9,790, rising to £10,050 from August 2027. That could cover a 1‑year course, such as a top‑up degree. A full 3‑year degree costs more than that, so you’d need to pay the difference another way.
Once your £39,160 is used up, you usually can’t get more. The exception is priority subjects. You may still get extra tuition fee loan for a full course that leads to a professional qualification in medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, certain allied health professions, teacher training or social work.
Help with living costs
You may also get a maintenance loan for living costs. You need to attend your course in person, and have at least £1,587.50 of your tuition fee loan left. Distance learning courses don’t normally qualify, unless you can’t attend because of a disability or long‑term illness.
The other rules still apply
Having studied before is only one part. You also need to meet the rules on where you live and your age, and your course needs to qualify. Our guide Am I eligible for student finance? explains each one.
Official sources
- Who’s eligible for student finance from January 2027
- What student loans you can get
- Lifelong Learning Entitlement: what it is and how it will work
This guide is general information, not financial advice. Rules can change, so always check GOV.UK before you apply.