University Parental Contribution Calculator

See how much means-tested Maintenance Loan your household income means your child at university actually gets, and the gap parents are, by design, expected to make up, per year and over a typical 3-year degree.

Estimate only. This calculator gives estimates for information only, not financial advice. Maintenance Loan amounts depend on your exact circumstances (course, household composition, other student finance), always check your actual entitlement at gov.uk/student-finance.

Your household

Where will your child live at university?

Household residual income (for the means test)

Roughly your (and any partner's) taxable income used by Student Finance England's assessment.

2025/26 loan anchors (editable)

Income at/below which the max loan applies

Maximum annual loan

Income at/above which the min loan applies

Minimum annual loan

These are illustrative 2025/26 England figures, VERIFY the current academic year's exact thresholds and amounts at gov.uk or Student Finance England before relying on this for a real decision.

Typical monthly rent estimate

Used only to compare the loan against a typical fixed cost, student rent varies enormously by city.

The taper between the two income anchors is modelled as a straight line, matching how close the real Student Finance England award schedule is to linear, but the anchors themselves are editable illustrative figures, not a live feed from Student Finance England.

Enter your household income

Your child's Maintenance Loan and the implied parental contribution gap appear here as you type.

Living with the gap

• The gap is by design, Student Finance England assumes higher-income households will make up the difference themselves, but there is no legal obligation on parents to actually pay it.
• Encourage your student to build a realistic termly budget covering rent, food, bills and books before they arrive, working backwards from the loan instalment, not forwards from what they'd like to spend.
• Most students can work part-time during term (a common guideline is around 10-15 hours/week) without it affecting their studies too much, useful context if the gap is large and ongoing parental support isn't realistic.

Why parents are expected to contribute

Maintenance Loans are means-tested against household income: the maximum is only paid at lower incomes, and the loan shrinks as income rises, down to roughly half the maximum. The gap between your child’s loan and the maximum is the implied parental contribution: the system is designed on the assumption that parents fill it. Knowing the number early lets you plan a monthly amount rather than facing a surprise each September.