Student loans & mortgages
How student loan repayments affect mortgage applications and simple steps to improve your chances.
Last updated: December 2025
On credit report
No
Usually not recorded
Affects affordability
Yes
Monthly repayments count
Make a difference
Deposit
Larger deposit helps
Student loans and your credit report
ℹ️Credit report
That said, it remains important to check your credit file before applying — missed repayments and County Court Judgments (CCJs) can appear on your record and may affect mortgage offers. See our guide on checking and improving your credit file if you need to tidy things up.
How student loans affect affordability
⚠️Affordability checks
📝 Example: Similar salary, different repayments
Monthly repayment size — not total loan — is what matters for lenders.
⚡Key point
It’s not the size of your student loan that matters for mortgages — it’s how much you pay each month. Bigger total debt can be irrelevant if your monthly repayments are small.
How to boost your mortgage affordability
Before you apply
Check your credit report and fix any missed payments
Build a larger deposit to reduce loan-to-value (LTV)
Consider a Lifetime ISA to boost savings with a government bonus
Cut discretionary outgoings in months before you apply
Get payslips and bank statements ready to show stable income
✅Deposit matters
Try our calculator
Play with deposit, income and outgoings to see how much a lender might offer you.