The Student Room Group

Student finance without parental permission?

Can I apply for a student loan without my mum's permission or knowledge?

My grandparents left money for university fees, and my mum said she would pay for me to go to uni with that. Also, we qualify for a bursary.

However, I don't like being reliant on my mum in order to go to university. Unless I get a student loan, I won't be going to university if she suddenly decides not to pay. And it's something she has threatened to do...

But, if I do apply for a student loan, would she have to give her permission? And would I have to tell her?
Reply 1
Original post by Platopus
Can I apply for a student loan without my mum's permission or knowledge?

My grandparents left money for university fees, and my mum said she would pay for me to go to uni with that. Also, we qualify for a bursary.

However, I don't like being reliant on my mum in order to go to university. Unless I get a student loan, I won't be going to university if she suddenly decides not to pay. And it's something she has threatened to do...

But, if I do apply for a student loan, would she have to give her permission? And would I have to tell her?


If you want the full amount, her income will be means tested otherwise you can't get it. In order for that to happen, she will have to not only know about it but fill out several forms etc.
Reply 2
Original post by Platopus
Can I apply for a student loan without my mum's permission or knowledge?

My grandparents left money for university fees, and my mum said she would pay for me to go to uni with that. Also, we qualify for a bursary.

However, I don't like being reliant on my mum in order to go to university. Unless I get a student loan, I won't be going to university if she suddenly decides not to pay. And it's something she has threatened to do...

But, if I do apply for a student loan, would she have to give her permission? And would I have to tell her?


You can get the full Tuition Fee Loan and the minimum Maintenance Loan without your mother's knowledge or permission.

The minimum Maintenance Loan won't be enough to live on. However, I suggest that you take the Tuition Fee Loan to pay your fees and use your grandparents' legacy to top up your Maintenance Loan. They clearly wanted you to go to uni and I'm sure that using their money in this way would satisfy that wish - especially if doing that would make the difference between going to uni and not going.

With the minimum Maintenance Loan, your grandparents' legacy and a uni bursary, you should be very comfortably off and might even be able to put some aside for your life after uni (I'm assuming that your gradparents left at least £27,000, which would be three years of tuition fees for most degrees these days).
(edited 7 years ago)
I was in a similar position to you, but I use Student Fiance Wales so Finance England may be different!

I applied for the maintenance and tuition fee loans (the ones that don't take into account your parents income) and they didn't need any information from my parents. However, they do send out a letter you have to sign and return. If you mum has a habit for opening you post she may find out this way (happened to me, but once I applied they didn't really care).

Like other people said you can only get the minimum without your mum having to provide details, but it is possible. I'm glad I did it because, even though you have to pay it back, it's just a comfort knowing you don't have to worry about money as much.
Reply 4
So is there any way of getting the higher maintenance loan without my mum's knowledge? Could I not create a fake email account and fill out the online form for her? Do they ask you to send physical evidence and is this the sort of thing I could get without her knowing?
Original post by Platopus
So is there any way of getting the higher maintenance loan without my mum's knowledge? Could I not create a fake email account and fill out the online form for her? Do they ask you to send physical evidence and is this the sort of thing I could get without her knowing?


Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe your mum would need to send them proof of her earnings (like a P60 (?) or payslips), it's not as simple as her filling out a form. While I suppose it would be possible to send them without her knowledge I really wouldn't advise it as you could get into a lot of trouble with Student Finance and they could cancel all payments to you.

If the money you have been left is not enough to cover uni or you'd prefer to save it for a mortgage (or something like that) then I'd talk to your mum about it to see if she'd be willing to give her details. If not I'd just apply for the minimum - it's better than nothing!
Your mum has to provide evidence of her income.

To get any university bursaries, your mum has to provide evidence of her household income to student finance.
I have been in a similar situation with my parents whereby money is used as a bargaining/threatening/blackmailing tool.

Yes you can get a student loan without parental permission. I would urge you to do this and not tell your mum so that she will still give you the money that your grandparents said they wanted you to have for uni.

The challenge with having parents who try to control you is doing what you can to stay one step ahead. It's crap having to work that way especially when you'd rather not have to but from experience, this would be my strongly felt advice to you.
Correction on my previous post.

Ask your mum to provide details saying you need it for the tuition fees loan and see if you can use that same information with which to apply for a higher rate maintenance loan.

You have to try and beat nosy controlling parents at their own game. I'm twenty eight and frustratingly, I still have to walk that path from time to time.
Reply 9
Original post by Tiger Rag
Your mum has to provide evidence of her income.

To get any university bursaries, your mum has to provide evidence of her household income to student finance.


Original post by Firefly13
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe your mum would need to send them proof of her earnings (like a P60 (?) or payslips), it's not as simple as her filling out a form. While I suppose it would be possible to send them without her knowledge I really wouldn't advise it as you could get into a lot of trouble with Student Finance and they could cancel all payments to you.

If the money you have been left is not enough to cover uni or you'd prefer to save it for a mortgage (or something like that) then I'd talk to your mum about it to see if she'd be willing to give her details. If not I'd just apply for the minimum - it's better than nothing!


I have submitted my application and filled in the household income assessment form but they didn't ask me to send in any proof of income, just a copy of my mum's decree nisi. Will they ask for proof of income later?
Reply 10
Original post by Platopus
I have submitted my application and filled in the household income assessment form but they didn't ask me to send in any proof of income, just a copy of my mum's decree nisi. Will they ask for proof of income later?


Yes, they will ask for your mother's P60.
If you apply for the higher maintenance loan or maintenance grant then you will need income details from your Mum, same for bursary if applicable but for tuition fee loan you don't need to ask your Mum

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 12
Original post by Klix88
Yes, they will ask for your mother's P60.

Thank you. When will they ask for this?
Reply 13
Original post by Platopus
Thank you. When will they ask for this?

There's no way of knowing - it depends how much of a backlog they currently have.
Reply 14
Original post by Klix88
There's no way of knowing - it depends how much of a backlog they currently have.

Ok, thank you. Have you applied for student finance? If so, when were you asked to provide proof of income?
Reply 15
Original post by Platopus
Ok, thank you. Have you applied for student finance? If so, when were you asked to provide proof of income?

I didn't have to provide evidence of income - I was an independent student leaving full-time employment to go to uni full-time, so I automatically got the maximum. I had zero income other than interest on my savings.
Reply 16
Original post by Klix88
I didn't have to provide evidence of income - I was an independent student leaving full-time employment to go to uni full-time, so I automatically got the maximum. I had zero income other than interest on my savings.

I see. Were you asked to provide evidence of anything else? If so, how soon after submitting your application online were you asked to post this?
Reply 17
Original post by Platopus
I see. Were you asked to provide evidence of anything else? If so, how soon after submitting your application online were you asked to post this?

I wasn't asked for proof. I was 44 and it could be seen from my tax records that I wasn't working after I started my degree. It woud've been a bit difficult to provide negative proof, especially as I was still workig when I applied for SF.

Our situations really aren't comparable.
Reply 18
Original post by Klix88
I wasn't asked for proof. I was 44 and it could be seen from my tax records that I wasn't working after I started my degree. It woud've been a bit difficult to provide negative proof, especially as I was still workig when I applied for SF.

Our situations really aren't comparable.

I'm so so so sorry for annoying you with all the questions!! You've been ever so patient, thank you for all your kind help.

Quick Reply

Latest