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.