Student finance: how to apply

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1. How to apply

How you apply depends on whether you have studied before and where you’re from or normally live.

Before you apply, check you’re eligible for student finance and the type of funding you could get.

​​New students who are from or normally live in England

Most full-time and part-time students who are from or normally live in England can apply online to Student Finance England.

  1. Set up a student finance online account.

  2. Log in and complete the online application.

  3. Include your household income if needed. Your parent or partner will be asked to confirm these details.

  4. Send in proof of identity, if needed.

If you cannot apply online, use the form finder to get the forms you need. You can call Student Finance England if you want to apply online but you cannot use a computer without help.

If you’re eligible for tuition fee-only funding

You must apply by post.

You can use the form finder to find and download your form.

You’ll get a letter confirming how much you’ll get, usually within 6 weeks.

Continuing students who are from or normally live in England

You’re a continuing student if you are:

  • moving on to the next year of your course
  • repeating a year of the same course or returning to a course after taking time out
  • transferring onto a new course from your old course

If you’re a continuing student who’s from or normally lives in England, you should log in to your student finance account and apply online.

If you’re eligible for tuition fee-only funding

You’ll be sent application forms to fill in and return by post. Log in to your student finance account to check your address is up to date.

If you’re returning to study after taking time out for personal reasons

There’s a different process if you have studied for more than one year before and you’re going back to your studies after stopping your course because of personal reasons. This could be for things like if you were ill, pregnant, caring for someone or someone close to you died.

You should log in to your student finance account and apply online.

You must also send a letter explaining why you suspended your studies with supporting evidence.

The letter must include:

  • your customer reference number for student finance
  • an explanation of your situation and why you had to suspend your studies

Supporting evidence can include:

  • a letter from your doctor or social services on headed paper
  • a letter from your university or college on headed paper
  • copies of birth or death certificates

You might need to send more than one piece of evidence if it helps you to show why you stopped your course.

Log in to your student finance account to send the letter and evidence to Student Finance England, or send it by post.

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

Student Finance England will send you a letter confirming how much you’ll get, usually within 8 weeks.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

There’s a different process if you’re from or normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Check:

2. When to apply

You can apply online for undergraduate student finance now.

Applications for postgraduate student finance will open in June 2024.

You can still apply for funding up to 9 months after the first day of the academic year for your course.

Course start date Apply by
Between 1 August and 31 December 31 May after your course started
Between 1 January and 31 March 30 September after your course started
Between 1 April and 30 June 31 December after your course started
Between 1 July and 31 July 31 March after your course started

You do not need a confirmed place to apply.

3. Proof of identity

Students who are from or normally live in England

Include your valid UK passport details in your application the first time you apply. Fill in the passport details form - do not send the passport itself.

Academic year Form
2024 to 2025 UK passport details form 2024 to 2025
2023 to 2024 UK passport details form 2023 to 2024

If you’re from or normally live in England but do not have a UK passport

If you do not have a UK passport (or it has expired), you can either:

  • upload a copy of your birth or adoption certificate to your student finance account
  • send a copy of your birth or adoption certificate to Student Finance England by post

If you’re sending your original birth or adoption certificate by post

Include your name and address. You should also include your customer reference number if you have one. This is an 11-digit number. You can find it on letters or emails you’ve had from Student Finance England.

Settled and pre-settled students

If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you only need to provide your share code to prove your immigration status and identity. You do not need to send your passport. Someone will contact you to ask for your share code after you apply.

Where to send your documents

Any original documents you send will be returned to you within 4 weeks.

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

4. Household income

You must provide your household income if you apply for any of the following:

  • full Maintenance Loan
  • Maintenance Grant - not available if your course started on or after 1 August 2016
  • Special Support Grant - not available if your course started on or after 1 August 2016
  • Childcare Grant
  • Adult Dependants’ Grant
  • Parents’ Learning Allowance

You’ll need to provide your household income for tax year:

  • 2022 to 2023 if you’re applying for the 2024 to 2025 academic year
  • 2021 to 2022 if you’re applying for the 2023 to 2024 academic year
  • 2020 to 2021 if you’re applying for the 2022 to 2023 academic year

After you apply, Student Finance England will ask the people in your household to confirm their income. They might need to provide evidence.

What counts as household income

Household income always includes income you get from your own savings, investments or property (for example dividends or rent).

It may also include your parents or partner’s income. This depends on your individual circumstances.

If you’re under 25 and financially depend on at least one parent

Your household income includes:

  • your parents’ income, if you live with them or depend on them financially
  • the combined income of one of your parents and their partner, if you live with them or depend on them financially

If you’re under 25 and do not financially depend on your parents

Your household income does not include your parents’ income if:

  • you have supported yourself financially for at least 3 years
  • you have been married or in a civil partnership at any time before the start of your course
  • you spent at least 13 weeks in the care of your local authority before you turned 16 - in this case, you might be able to apply as a care leaver
  • you’ve had no contact with your parents for over a year - in this case, you might be able to apply as an ‘estranged student’

If you’re over 25

Your household income will not include your parents income if you are over 25, as you will be classed as an ‘independent student’.

Your household income will include your partner’s income, if you live with them (even if they spend most of their time abroad).

5. Change an application

You must say if any details in your application change. You’ll need to report some changes yourself. Your parents, partner or sponsor will need to report others.

Changes you must report

You must tell Student Finance England if:

  • you’ve changed your course, university or college
  • you’re repeating a year
  • you’ve changed your name or marital status
  • your Tuition Fee Loan amount has changed
  • you’re living somewhere new

If the year you applied for has started

Ask your university or college to tell Student Finance England if you change or repeat your course or change your Tuition Fee Loan.

You’ll still need to contact Student Finance England yourself if you’ve changed your name or marital status or you’re living somewhere new.

How to report changes to Student Finance England

How you report changes depends on whether you:

  • study full-time
  • study part-time
  • receive tuition fee-only funding

There’s a different process if you’ve changed your name or marital status.

If you’re a full-time student

Use your student finance account to tell Student Finance England about changes.

If you’re a part-time student

You’ll need to fill in form CO2 to tell Student Finance England about changes.

Use your student finance account to send the form to Student Finance England, or send it by post. The address is on the form.

If you receive tuition fee-only funding

You’ll need to fill in form EUCO1 to tell Student Finance England about changes.

Send the form to Student Finance England by post. The address is on the form.

If you’ve changed your name or marital status

You must write and tell Student Finance England if you’ve changed your name or marital status. The letter must include:

  • your customer reference number
  • the date
  • your signature
  • evidence that you’ve changed your name or marital status

If you’ve changed your name you must include a copy of one of the following with your letter:

  • marriage certificate
  • final or conditional order
  • decree absolute
  • change of name deed - it must be an enrolled deed poll

If you’ve changed your marital status, you must include a copy of one of the following with your letter:

  • marriage certificate
  • final or conditional order
  • decree absolute
  • civil partnership final order

Use your student finance account to send the letter and evidence to Student Finance England, or send it by post

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

If you cannot provide the right document, contact Student Finance England.

Changes your parents, partner or sponsor must report

If your household income changes

Your parents or partner must:

If your parents or sponsor have another child

Your parents or sponsor must tell Student Finance England if they have any more children. They can use form PFF2.