Thousands of Northern Ireland students will see their maintenance loans and grants increase by 2.7% for the 2026/27 academic year as the Department for the Economy moves to ease cost-of-living pressures. The announcement, made by Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald on 7 June 2026, also includes a 10% rise in Disabled Students’ Allowance maximum support to £27,500.
The uplift follows a more substantial 20% increase introduced for the 2025/26 academic year and builds on a 54% boost to postgraduate tuition fee loans announced in March 2026. The latest inflation-tracking increase affects the 34,200 students who collectively received £153.6 million in maintenance support during the 2024/25 academic year.
Specific Increases for 2026/27
The Department for the Economy has confirmed the following maximum support rates for full-time undergraduate students domiciled in Northern Ireland:
- Living at home: Maintenance loan rising from £6,300 to £6,471
- Living away from home: Maintenance loan rising from £8,132 to £8,352
- Living in London: Maintenance loan rising from £11,391 to £11,699
- Maintenance grants: Maximum non-repayable grant increasing from £3,475 to £3,569 for eligible students
- Disabled Students’ Allowance: Maximum support rising from £25,000 to £27,500 for 2026/27
Minister Defends Incremental Approach
Dr Archibald positioned the increases as part of a broader strategy to keep education affordable despite departmental budget pressures. In her statement, she said:
“I fully recognise the financial pressures many students are facing and the importance of responding to these challenges, so I am taking further steps to support students with day-to-day living costs.
“For academic year 2026/27, maximum maintenance grants and loans are getting an inflationary uplift, increasing by 2.7%. This follows the significant 20% uplift to maximum maintenance loans introduced for 2025/26 which together are about helping students to stay in education and realise their potential.
“The maximum support available through the Disabled Students’ Allowance will also rise by 10%, from £25,000 to £27,500, providing additional help for those who need it to access and succeed in Higher Education.”
The Minister also linked the financial support to forthcoming employment reforms, adding:
“I know many students work to support their studies. My Good Jobs Bill includes a range of measures which will be particularly beneficial to students in work. It will ensure tips, gratuities and service charges are passed on in full, and it will tackle the exploitative use of zero-hours contracts by offering those who regularly work set patterns the right to move to banded hours contracts.
“I am determined to make education more affordable and accessible. By increasing maintenance support, expanding postgraduate loan provision and strengthening protections for students in work through my Good Jobs Bill, I am taking practical action to help students with the cost of living, remain in education and progress into good jobs.”
Student Leaders: “One Step, Not the Final Answer”
NUS-USI, which represents over 130,000 students and apprentices across Northern Ireland’s higher and further education institutions, welcomed the additional funding but warned it falls short of addressing systemic affordability issues. President Ben Friel said:
“We welcome the Minister’s continued focus on student cost of living pressures, and any increase in maintenance support is a step in the right direction. Students have been clear that financial pressure is one of the biggest barriers to accessing and staying in education, so additional support does matter.
“However, this must be seen as one step rather than the final answer. Many students are still being forced to work long hours, rely on hardship funds or go without essentials, and the upcoming Higher Education Funding Review must look seriously at how maintenance support can better reflect the real cost of studying and living.”
Implementation Questions
Friel’s comments highlight ongoing concerns about the adequacy of support. While the 2.7% uplift tracks inflation, student representatives argue it may do little to reverse the trend of students taking on excessive working hours alongside their studies—a reality the Minister acknowledged when referencing the Good Jobs Bill.
The Minister cited the forthcoming legislation as imminent support for working students, though the announcement provided no specific timeline for its publication or implementation. This leaves questions about when students currently working in hospitality and retail might receive the promised protections against zero-hours contracts and unpaid tips.
Sustainability questions also loom. With the promised Higher Education Funding Review yet to report, stakeholders are watching to see whether medium-term structural changes might alter the landscape for student finance.
Critical Questions for Stakeholders
- How will the Department measure whether the 2.7% uplift successfully helps students “stay in education and realise their potential”?
- What is the expected timeline for the Good Jobs Bill to deliver protections for students in zero-hours contracts?
- Will the Higher Education Funding Review address the fundamental disconnect between maintenance loan levels and the “real cost of studying and living” cited by student representatives?
- How does the Department plan to ensure the increased £27,500 DSA maximum reaches eligible disabled students?
What to Watch For
Students should monitor the publication of the Good Jobs Bill for concrete timelines on workplace rights. The broader Higher Education Funding Review remains the critical juncture where fundamental questions about tuition fees, maintenance support levels, and sector sustainability will be addressed. Applications for the increased 2026/27 support packages open via Student Finance NI in the coming weeks.