Universal Credit and students

Last updated 25 July 2023

Guidance on claiming Universal Credit if you’re a student.

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 are 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 are 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.

Read more about who is eligible for Universal Credit.

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 will 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 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 qualification up to A Level, or equivalent. Full-time courses include:

National Qualification Framework level 3 or the Scottish Qualification framework level 6
General Certificate of Education Advanced level (A Level)
AS Level
Advanced Diploma
National Diploma, Certificate or Award
Level 3 NVQ, Award, Certificate or Diploma

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 are doing.

Student income and your Universal Credit

Your student income can affect how much Universal Credit you get.

Universal Credit is usually paid once a month and is based on your circumstances during that month. This is called your ‘assessment period’.

For each assessment period that you attend the course, an amount for any student income you get will be taken off your Universal Credit. The amount is worked out from the actual student income you get that month less a set amount for expenses.

However, 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

Student loans

You may be entitled to Universal Credit if you receive a student loan. There are different types of student loans and there are different rules depending on which loan you receive.

When working out your Universal Credit, any loan amount that is intended to cover tuition fees and other costs of study will be excluded.

Loans that cover maintenance, such as living expenses, rent and bills, will be deducted from your Universal Credit. Most loans pay tuition and maintenance in separate payments.

However, if you receive a Special Support Loan or Grant, this will not be deducted from your Universal Credit. This provides help towards costs of study, such as books, equipment and travel.

Special Support Loan or Grant

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.

If you receive a loan that pays maintenance and tuition in a single payment, for example a Postgraduate Master’s Degree Loan, a proportion of your loan will be excluded from your Universal Credit payment and the rest is deducted.

Postgraduate Master’s Loan

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

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

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan 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.

The Postgraduate Master’s and Doctoral loans are paid as one payment in 3 instalments over each year of the course and are all treated the same way when working out your Universal Credit. They are all a contribution to both living costs and tuition fees.

When working out your Universal Credit, 30% of the loan will be taken into account and the rest will be excluded.

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 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.

Universal Credit and students – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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