Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income or out of work.

Studying full-time

You cannot usually get Universal Credit if you’re studying full-time. There are some exceptions.

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re studying full-time and any of the following apply:

• you’re aged 21 or under, in full-time non-advanced education and do not have parental support
• you’re responsible for a child
• you live with your partner and they’re eligible for Universal Credit
• you’ve reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit and live with a partner who is under that age
• you’ve received a Migration Notice telling you to move to Universal Credit
• you’re disabled, were assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your course, and are getting:
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Child Disability Payment in Scotland
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

You may also be able to get Universal Credit if you’re studying in full-time non-advanced education, you do not get a student loan or maintenance grant and you’re available for work. If the course is more than 12 hours a week, this only applies from 1 September following your 19th birthday. This is because your parents can claim benefits for you before that date.

You may be asked to provide evidence of the course you’re doing.

Aged 21 or under, in non-advanced education and do not have parental support

This includes if you’ve left care provided by the local council or you’re without parental support.

You may be eligible for Universal Credit if:

• you’re on a full-time course of non-advanced education or training that started before you reached age 21
• you reach age 21 while you’re on the course

You can continue to get Universal Credit until:

• the end of the academic year in which you reach age 21
• the end of the course, if it ends before you reach age 21

You’re responsible for a child

The child may be adopted or a foster child.

For couples, one of you or both of you may be a student.

What counts as a full-time course

The education or training provider usually decides whether a course is full-time.

If you attend a full-time course on a part-time basis, you’ll be treated as studying full-time.

A course is an arrangement of study, tuition or training. It can be academic, practical, or a combination of both. It is usually done at, or by arrangement with, an education or training provider.

It will often lead to a qualification when it is completed. Some non-advanced study, tuition or training, may not lead to a formal qualification. This does not mean that it is not a course.

Examples of full-time courses of advanced education

Full-time courses of advanced education include those leading to:

• a postgraduate degree or comparable qualification
• a first degree or comparable qualification
• a diploma of higher education
• a higher national diploma
• any other course of study of a standard above:
  • advanced GNVQ or equivalent
  • a Scottish higher or advanced higher national qualification

Examples of full-time courses of non-advanced education

Non-advanced education is any course up to A Level, or equivalent.

Full-time courses include:

• AS Levels
• A Levels
• BTEC Levels and BTEC Extended Diploma, up to Level 3
• entry level skills courses
• GCSEs
• National 5s (N5s)
• National Qualification Framework level 3 or the Scottish Qualification framework level 6
• National Certificate or Diploma
• NVQs, Awards, Certificates or Diplomas, up to Level 3
• Skills for Life

It does not include apprenticeships or any advanced education course, such as:

• university degrees
• higher national diploma
• BTEC Higher National Certificates
• any course above Scottish highers or advanced higher national qualifications

Studying part-time

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re available for work and studying part-time.

If the course is more than 12 hours a week non-advanced education, this only applies from 1 September following your 19th birthday. This is because your parents can claim benefits for you before that date.

You may be asked to provide evidence of the course you’re doing.

How student income affects Universal Credit

You may be entitled to Universal Credit if you receive a student loan or grant. 

Your student income, such as loans and grants, can affect how much Universal Credit you get.

Student loans

Loans for maintenance, such as living costs and rent, are regarded as income, and are taken into account when we work out your Universal Credit. Loans for tuition fees and other costs of study are excluded.

The maximum student maintenance loan you’re eligible for will be taken into account when working out your Universal Credit. This applies even if you have:

• not applied for a loan
• not accepted the loan
• decided not to take the full amount
• received a reduced loan because someone has contributed to your living costs, for example your parent, guardian or partner
• received a reduced loan because you receive a grant

Universal Credit is usually paid once a month and is based on your circumstances during that month. This is called your ‘assessment period’. An amount for any maintenance you get will be taken off your Universal Credit for each assessment period that you attend the course.

The amount we take off is worked out by dividing the student finance you get (or are eligible for) by the number of assessment periods in your course year. 

For every £1 you’re entitled to get from a maintenance loan, your Universal Credit will be reduced by £1.

For each assessment period, when we work out your income we ignore the first £110.

No student income will be taken off your Universal Credit if:

• the assessment period covers the first day of the summer holidays
• you’re on summer holiday for the whole of a subsequent assessment period
• your course ends during the assessment period

Special Support Loan or Grant

If you receive a Special Support Loan or Grant, this will not be taken off your Universal Credit.

A Special Support Loan or Grant provides help towards costs of study, such as books, equipment and travel.

You may get a Special Support Loan or Grant if you get or qualify for:

• Income Support
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• the housing element of Universal Credit

You may get the Special Support Loan or Grant if, for example, you’re a lone parent or have certain disabilities.

If you live in England the Special Support Grant was replaced by the Special Support Loan from the beginning of the 2016 to 2017 academic year. If you live in Wales, it is called a Special Support Grant.

You’ll be told if you can get the loan or grant when you apply for student finance.

Postgraduate loans

Postgraduate Master’s and Doctoral loans are paid in 3 instalments over each year of the course. They are a contribution to both living costs and tuition fees.

Postgraduate Master’s Loan

Postgraduate Master’s Loans can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

Postgraduate Master’s Loans in England and Wales include maintenance and tuition fees in one payment. When working out your Universal Credit, 30% of the loan is taken into account as student income. The rest is ignored.

Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you normally live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

Funding for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan is different if you normally live in Wales.

When working out your Universal Credit, 30% of the loan is taken into account as student income. The rest is ignored.

Student grants

If you’re a full-time higher education student, you may be able to get a non-repayable grant from the government to help with accommodation and other living costs. There are also other types of grants that can help with things like childcare, tuition fees or examination fees.

If you get Universal Credit and are eligible for a student loan, your students grant will be taken into account for specific amounts which cover:

• your rent costs
• the maintenance costs of another person included in your Universal Credit award

If you get Universal Credit and are not eligible for a student loan, the following student grants will not be included in the calculation:

• tuition and examination fees
• your disability
• expenses for residential study away from an educational establishment
• living away from your usual place of study
• maintenance of dependent adult (if the Universal Credit award does not include an amount for this person)
• books and equipment
• travel expenses
• childcare costs

Help and advice

If you need help claiming Universal Credit, contact the Universal Credit helpline.

Find more information about help with student finance.