University cost calculator
Add up the full cost of a degree: tuition plus living costs across the course, then take off the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan to see the funding gap left for you or your child to cover.
How the total is built up
The tool multiplies the yearly tuition and living figures by the number of years to get a total cost for the whole course. It then subtracts the money that loans provide: the tuition fee loan, which normally covers fees in full and goes straight to the university, and the maintenance loan you enter, which helps with living costs. What remains is the funding gap.
That gap matters more than the headline total, because the loans are not cash in hand for fees. The tuition fee loan never reaches your bank account, and the maintenance loan usually falls short of real living costs. The monthly figure spreads the gap evenly across the course so you can see roughly what has to come from wages, savings or family each month.
Worked example
Take a three-year degree with fees at £9,790 a year and living costs of £12,000 a year. The total cost is £65,370. With the tuition fee loan covering all £29,370 of fees and a maintenance loan of £8,400 a year, £54,570 is covered by loans. That leaves a funding gap of £10,800, roughly £300 a month to find over the three years.
Common questions
How much does university cost in the UK?
Tuition is capped at £9,790 a year for a full-time course in England, so a three-year degree is about £29,370 in fees alone. Living costs add several thousand more a year, so the full three-year cost often lands between £45,000 and £60,000 before any loan support.
Does the tuition fee loan cover all the fees?
For most full-time students in England the tuition fee loan covers the fees in full and is paid straight to the university, so you do not pay upfront. The tool assumes this by default, which is why the funding gap is driven mainly by living costs, not fees.
What is the funding gap?
It is the money left over once the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan are counted. The maintenance loan rarely covers all living costs, especially away from home, so the gap is what a student and family have to find from work, savings or other help.
How big is the maintenance loan?
It depends on where you study, whether you live at home, and household income. The largest loans go to students living away from home outside London on lower household incomes. Put your expected yearly loan into the tool to see the gap it leaves.
Is the funding gap the same as debt?
No. The loans become debt you repay later through the payslip once you earn over the threshold. The funding gap is different: it is the cash shortfall during the course itself that loans do not cover, so it usually has to come from work or family support at the time.