Student finance: how to apply

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How to apply

How you apply depends on:

  • what type of student finance you’re eligible for
  • whether you’re a new or continuing student

Before you apply, you should check your eligibility for:

  • a Tuition Fee Loan to pay your course tuition fees
  • a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs
  • extra funding such as a grant or allowance, for example, if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children

If you’re eligible for both a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan (also known as ‘full support’), you can apply online.

If you’re only eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and not a Maintenance Loan (also known as ‘tuition fee only funding’), you must apply by post.

You’re a continuing student if you are:

  • moving on to the next year of your course
  • transferring onto a new course from your old course

If you’re repeating or returning to a course after taking time out for personal reasons, you may need to reapply with a letter explaining this.

If you apply in the wrong way, it could delay your application.

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

Apply for student finance online

You can apply online if you’re eligible for both a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan (full support).

New students

Follow these steps to apply online if you’re a new student:

  1. Set up a student finance online account. 

  2. Sign 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.

Continuing students

Sign in to your student finance account and apply online.

If you need help or cannot apply online

If you’re having trouble applying online, use the form finder to get the forms you need.

You can call Student Finance England if you’re eligible to apply online but you cannot use a computer without help.

Apply for student finance by post

If you’re only eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and not a Maintenance Loan (tuition fee only funding), you must apply by post.

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

New students

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

Your student finance account will be updated in 4 weeks to show how much you’ll get. You’ll get an email when this is ready to view.

Continuing students

You’ll be sent application forms to fill in and return by post. Sign 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

You’ll need to reapply if you previously studied for more than a year but stopped 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.

If you’re eligible for both a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan (full support), you can apply online by signing in to your student finance account.

If you’re only eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan and not a Maintenance Loan (tuition fee only funding), you must apply by post.

What to include with your application

Include a letter explaining why you suspended your studies with supporting evidence.

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.

If you forgot to include the letter and evidence when you applied, sign in to your student finance account to upload it. Or, send it by post. Make sure you include your customer reference number (CRN).

Your student finance account will be updated in 4 weeks to show how much you’ll get. You’ll get an email when this is ready to view.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Get undergraduate student finance: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you're eligible for student finance

    1. If you’re from England or outside the UK, check if you're eligible

    There’s a different process if:

  2. Step 2 Find out how much loan you could get

    You may be able to apply for:

    • a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay your course tuition fees
    • a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs

    Find out how much you could get if you're a:

    How much Maintenance Loan you get depends on where you'll study and your household income.

    1. Use the student finance calculator to estimate your Maintenance Loan

    You'll have to pay back any loan you get.

    1. Find out how much you'll repay
    2. Find out when you'll start repaying

  3. and Check if you can get extra help

    You might be able to get extra money if you:

    You might also be able to get other financial help, for example from your university or the government.

    1. Find out about extra help

  4. Step 3 Prepare your application

    1. Check when you can apply
    2. Check what ID you'll need
    3. Check if you need to give proof of your household income

  5. Step 4 Apply or reapply

    You can apply online or by post depending on the type of student finance you’re eligible for.

    If you apply in the wrong way, it could delay your application.

    1. You are currently viewing: Find out how to apply

    It takes 4 weeks to process your application. You might have to provide extra evidence.

  6. Step 5 Update your details if your circumstances change

    You must update your application if your circumstances change. For example if you:

    • change your course through clearing
    • change where you're going to live - for example with your parents instead of halls
    1. Find out how to update your application

  7. Step 6 Make sure you can be paid

    After you register at your university or college you'll usually get your Maintenance Loan paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term.

    Use your student finance account to:

    • update your bank details - for example if you open a student account
    • check how much you'll be paid
    • check when you'll be paid
    1. Sign in to your student finance account

    Tuition Fee Loans are paid directly to your university or college.

  8. Step 7 Check what to do while you're studying

    You'll need to reapply for student finance for each year of your course.

    You must keep your details up to date throughout your course because some changes can affect your loan payments, for example if your household income or bank details change.

    1. Check how to update your details
    2. Find out what to do if you suspend or leave your course

  9. Step 8 Check what to do when you stop studying

    When you stop studying the Student Loans Company (SLC) will create a student loans repayment account for you.

    The log in details will be the same as for your student finance account. You should check your contact details are correct.

    1. Sign in to your student loan repayment account

    You must update your employment details if:

    • you leave the UK for more than 3 months
    • SLC asks you to update them
    1. Update your employment details

  10. Step 9 Repay your loan

    The repayment plan you're on will determine when you start repaying and how much you repay.

    1. Check which repayment plan you’re on
    2. Find out how much you'll repay
    3. Find out when you'll start repaying
    4. Find out how to repay