Course and university choice
We match your grades and UCAS points to courses that will actually make you an offer, with entry requirements in plain numbers.
UK university admissions · 2027 entry
Your next step to a UK university place
We help home students choose the right course, apply through UCAS and get student finance sorted — including students without A-levels, mature students and anyone applying part time. Straight advice, no sales pitch.
- Home students only
- 50+ partner universities
- UCAS & student finance support
1:1 advice
One adviser, start to finish
They know your grades, your five UCAS choices and your funding — from the first
question to your confirmed place.
3,000+Students helped since 2015
50+Partner universities
98%Applications checked before submission
14+Routes into a degree
Partner universities
University of WolverhamptonUniversity of GreenwichAbertay UniversityUniversity of BradfordCoventry UniversityUlster UniversityNorthumbria UniversityUniversity of SunderlandLondon Metropolitan UniversityUniversity of WolverhamptonUniversity of GreenwichAbertay UniversityUniversity of BradfordCoventry UniversityUlster UniversityNorthumbria UniversityUniversity of SunderlandLondon Metropolitan University
Who we are
A UK consultancy for UK students
NextStep Educare Ltd is a UK-registered education consultancy in London. We work with home students applying to universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — the ones who pay home fees and apply for Student Finance England funding.
So our advice is about your grades, your UCAS points, your household income and the courses that will genuinely make you an offer. If a course is out of reach we say so, and show you the route that is not.
Our services
Everything from shortlist to student finance
UCAS application
Five choices, deadline planning, the three-part personal statement, references and every form checked before it is submitted.
Student finance
Tuition fee and maintenance loan applications, household income evidence, care-leaver and independent-student cases — and what to do when a payment goes wrong.
Clearing and results day
If results do not land as planned, we work the Clearing lines with you and find the best course still taking applications.
Routes without A-levels
Access to Higher Education diplomas, foundation years, HND and top-up routes for students and adults returning to study.
Health and nursing funding
NHS Learning Support Fund claims alongside your student finance: training grant, specialist subject payment and placement costs.
Funding · 2026/27
What you can borrow
Your course fee is covered by a loan that is not means-tested. Living costs are covered by a maintenance loan that depends on where you live and your household income.
£9,790Tuition fee loan2026/27, full-time undergraduate. Not means-tested, paid straight to the university.
£9,118Maintenance loan — at homeMaximum for 2026/27, before the household income taper.
£10,830Maintenance loan — awayMaximum for 2026/27 living away from home, outside London.
£14,135Maintenance loan — LondonMaximum for 2026/27 living away from home on a London course.
Process
How it works
Five steps, and you always know which one you are on.
- Free consultation
We go through your qualifications, predicted grades, budget and where you want to study, then tell you which routes are realistic. - Shortlist
You get a shortlist with entry requirements, UCAS points and location, plus a sensible spread of ambitious, target and safe choices. - Application
We help write the three personal statement answers, gather references and submit your UCAS application well before the deadline. - Funding
We prepare the Student Finance England application, check income evidence, and add NHS support claims where they apply. - Offers and Clearing
We compare offers with you, plan results day, and if grades slip we keep working Clearing until you have a place.
Key dates · 2027 entry
The UCAS deadlines that matter
- 12 May 2026
UCAS opens for 2027 entry — registration and preparation. - 1 September 2026
Applications can be submitted to UCAS. - 15 October 2026, 18:00
Deadline for Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, veterinary medicine/science and dentistry courses. - 14 January 2027, 18:00
Equal consideration deadline for most other undergraduate courses.
Why NextStep Educare
Built around home students
UCAS, Student Finance England and the courses you can actually get into — that is the whole job.
Home students only
We work with students applying from the UK, so everything is built around UCAS, Student Finance England and the courses you can realistically get into.
University partnerships
Direct relationships with 50+ universities, so we check the entry requirements for the current cycle instead of guessing.
Funding done properly
Student finance, household income evidence, NHS Learning Support Fund and care-leaver rules — checked before the form goes in.
One adviser end to end
The person who answers your first question still knows your file when your place is confirmed.
Student stories
What our students say
★★★★★
I had no idea where to start with UCAS or student finance. They explained the whole thing, checked my personal statement and I ended up with two offers for the course I actually wanted.
LucyUniversity of South Wales
★★★★★
They told me honestly that my grades were not enough for my first choice, then found me a foundation year route at a university I love. Nothing was sugar-coated.
LorraineUniversity of Roehampton
★★★★★
As a mature student I thought it was too late for me. They sorted out my access course, my funding and the application — and I started the following September.
AlinaUniversity of Bedfordshire
Questions
Answers before you ask
Do I have to pay tuition fees up front?
No. Eligible home students borrow the full fee through a Tuition Fee Loan, which Student Finance England pays directly to the university. For 2026/27 that is up to £9,790 a year for a full-time undergraduate course.
How much maintenance loan will I get?
It depends on where you live and your household income. For 2026/27 the maximums are £9,118 living with your parents, £10,830 living away outside London and £14,135 living away in London. The maximum applies up to about £25,000 of household income, then it tapers down as income rises.
When do I start repaying?
Only once your income is above the Plan 5 threshold of £25,000 a year, and then at 9% of everything above it. Interest is RPI only, and any balance left after 40 years is written off.
What if I do not have A-levels?
There are real routes in: an Access to Higher Education diploma, a foundation year at the start of a degree, or an HND followed by a top-up year. We will tell you which one fits your background.
Can I study part time while I work?
Yes. Part-time study at 25% intensity or more can be funded: the 2026/27 part-time tuition fee loan is up to £7,335, with a reduced maintenance loan depending on your study intensity.
Do I have to be a certain age?
No. Mature students are a large part of what we do — from Access courses in your twenties to part-time degrees later on.
Not sure which route fits?
Send us your qualifications and what you want to study. You will get a straight answer about your options, and it costs nothing to ask.