How to be in control of your Student Finance application!

Hi guys, it's Rhys again and today I will be helping you be on control of your Student Finance application. Applying for your student finance can be intimidating the first time you do it but being in control and preparing can help. I’m here to give a bit of advice and some tips about what you can do before applying and things you should know and remember whilst applying!

If you’re reading this before you’re able to apply or just want to get to grips I really recommend using the Student Finance Calculator on the Gov.UK website before anything. This will give you a good idea of what sort of maintenance loan you could be getting. While it might not be absolute it will give you a rough budget to think about for the next year; will you need extra support from bursaries or family? How much is your rent for your accommodation? How much will that leave you with for food and other purchases? I found this tool to be helpful in answering those and it gave my parents an idea of what to expect as well.

The next thing to do is to make an account on the student finance website (depending on where you are in the U.K.) By doing this early you can ensure getting an email about when applications open and do it before the page gets too much traffic. Remember to save the password somewhere safe as you will need it for the next few years!

Secondly, it's a good idea to think about setting up a student bank account. Once you have your UCAS number for this, you’ll be able to set one up. this is important as bank’s will give you good deals on overdrafts and extras in return for using them to hold your student loan once received. When you apply for finance it's a lot easier to give them your chosen bank account first than to have to go back and change it. As well, during this process you will likely need to have your parents/guardians give information to SFE about their income and to be in control of that let them know early! And keep reminding them! It’s easy to forget about so the quicker they do it the quicker you will hear back. To make things easier it’s also good to have on hand your parent’s information to give to SFE, like their email addresses!

Other things to note are the things applicable to some students; if you have a disability, remember to also apply for a Disabled Student’s Allowance for extra support, money and even help towards things that will help better support you during your course. As well, there are lots of different funding available for medical, social work and teacher training students so it’s a good idea to research those too! If you believe you need extra support, you can also check on your university website for bursaries or look around locally as there tend to be local places with bursaries as well!

Applying for Student Finance can feel scary the first time you do it but honestly? It’s fine! If circumstances change or you think you may have done something wrong on your application, you can simply contact Student Finance and ask them for help! They’re there to support you in the end so they will want to do that. Plus, the first time you do it is the hardest part! Reapplying every year is a lot easier and you always get notifications to remind you! In the worst case that something does go wrong, our university and Student Union will have ways of supporting you and helping you in whatever way works! Hopefully this stuff will be helpful, and I wish everyone with applying! I’m about to go and reapply for mine for next year now! Bye 😊

Rhys (He/Him)