Student Finance NI calculator
See your 2026/27 Northern Ireland grant and loan from household income and where you live, matching Student Finance NI's own tables to the pound.
Rates taken from the official source and last checked on 12 September 2026.
The most intricate system of the four
Northern Ireland pays a Maintenance Grant and a Maintenance Loan together, and the two interact: the grant is means tested, and receiving it also swaps out part of the loan. That sounds like less money; it is actually the same money with less debt attached, because the grant is never repaid.
The maximum loans for 2026/27 are £6,471 living with parents, £8,352 away from home outside London, and £11,699 in London. The grant runs up to £3,569: full at household incomes of £19,203 or less, tapering in two stages, and gone above £41,065.
What that produces
| Household income | Grant | Loan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £19,203 or less | £3,569 | £6,451 | £10,020 |
| £25,000 | £2,261 | £6,773 | £9,034 |
| £30,000 | £1,248 | £7,104 | £8,352 |
| £35,000 | £708 | £7,644 | £8,352 |
| £41,540 | £0 | £8,352 | £8,352 |
Above £41,540 a separate household contribution starts reducing the loan itself, at £1 for every complete £5.55 of income, but never below the 75% of the loan that is not income-assessed. Every figure this calculator produces reproduces the entitlement tables in Student Finance NI's own 2026/27 booklet to the pound.
Why NI students often do better than the loan suggests
NI has the lowest headline loans in the UK, and headlines mislead here. Tuition fees for NI students studying at home are far lower than in England, the grant is real money at ordinary incomes, and repayment runs on Plan 1 terms with a lower balance to clear. Compare totals and debt, never just the loan figure.
The rest of the UK
The other three nations run their own systems: the England calculator, the Wales calculator and the Scotland calculator. Your funding follows where you normally live, not where the university is.
Common questions
How much student finance will I get in Northern Ireland for 2026/27?
At household income up to £19,203: the full £3,569 grant plus a reduced loan. The grant tapers away by £41,065, where the loan sits at its maximum: £6,471 at home, £8,352 away outside London, £11,699 in London.
Does the Maintenance Grant reduce my loan?
Yes, and that is the point. Part of the loan is replaced by grant, so the total you receive barely moves while the amount you owe afterwards falls. A full-grant student receives £1,901 less loan and £3,569 of grant in its place.
What happens at higher household incomes?
The grant is gone above £41,065, and above £41,540 a household contribution starts reducing the loan by £1 for every complete £5.55 of income. It stops at the 75% of the loan that is never income-assessed, so there is always a floor.
Why are NI maintenance loans lower than England's?
Different package, different costs. NI students studying at home pay much lower tuition fees, receive a real grant at ordinary incomes, and repay on Plan 1 terms. The smaller loan reflects a system that hands out less debt overall, though whether it stretches to modern rents is another question.