Settled status is the baseline full-support route for many applicants. The key word is personally: your own immigration position must be free from a time limit.
SFE's 2026–27 notes describe settled status as being able to live in the UK permanently without a Home Office restriction on how long you may remain. This includes British citizenship, ILR/ILE and right of abode; EUSS settled status is also a published full-support category.
The main residence test
For a typical settled applicant, current guidance requires:
- your home to be in England;
- continuous residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the 3 years before the first day of the first academic year; and
- the absence of a move to England solely for the purpose of study.
Temporary absences such as holidays may not break continuity, but a longer move abroad needs a factual review.
You do not normally need to hold ILR for the whole 3-year period. The residence history and settled status are separate conditions. You must be settled at the relevant eligibility point and have the required prior residence.
What support can be available?
The personally settled category can provide full undergraduate support: a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, subject to course, age and previous-study rules.
The Maintenance Loan amount can depend on household income, where you live while studying, course intensity or credits and the funding system that applies to the start date.
Settled status versus pre-settled status
Pre-settled status is limited leave, not the same category. The basic pre-settled route is commonly tuition-only. A qualifying EEA or Swiss worker route may unlock full support. Read the pre-settled status guide.
Settled person versus family member of a settled person
If your spouse, partner or parent is settled but you are not personally settled, do not use the full-support settled category automatically. Current 2026–27 SFE guidance lists the family-member-of-a-settled-person category as tuition-fee-only after its residence conditions are met.
This distinction is particularly important for spouse and partner visa holders.
Evidence to prepare
- passport details, EUSS share-code information or Home Office evidence of ILR/ILE;
- the date settled status or indefinite leave was granted;
- a continuous 3-year address history;
- an explanation and evidence for material periods outside the UK and Islands;
- course, university and start-date details; and
- all previous higher-education study, including study overseas.
Settlement does not cancel previous-study rules. An existing qualification or earlier years of study can still reduce or block parts of the funding package.
Courses starting from January 2027
For most relevant courses starting from 1 January 2027, LLE funding applies. Current GOV.UK guidance still treats personally settled applicants meeting the residence test as potentially eligible for full support, while credits and remaining tuition entitlement affect the amount available.
Get a free settled-status funding check
Tell us your exact settled status or ILR grant, 3-year address history, absences, previous study and course plans. We will check the likely full-support route and any second-gate issues.
If the route looks promising, we can also discuss partner university options and preparation for the SFE application.
Check Eligibility & Study Options - FreeFrequently asked questions
Can I get student finance with settled status?
Potentially, yes. Full support may be available when England is home and the 3-year residence, course and previous-study conditions are met.
Can I get student finance with ILR?
ILR is a settled status for this purpose. The same residence and course checks still apply.
Must the full 3 years be after ILR?
The published rule requires prior residence and settled status; it does not generally require all 3 years to fall after the ILR grant.
Does my settled spouse make me fully eligible?
Not automatically. If you are not personally settled, the family-member category is currently tuition-only unless another full-support route applies.
Sources and verification
Checked on 27 June 2026 against the current and January 2027 systems.
- SFE: How you are assessed and paid 2026–27
- SFE: PN1 application notes 2026–27
- GOV.UK: LLE eligibility from January 2027
This is general guidance, not an SFE eligibility decision.