Applying for student finance from Japan

Hello, I am planning to apply for tuition and maintenance loans for my PGCE teacher training starting in September 2024. I have received and accepted an offer to train.

I have been living and working as a teacher in Japan on a temporary basis (yearly rolling contracts) for the past 2 years, and understand from previous posts that the temporary nature of my work and residence means I am not in breach of the requirement to have lived in the UK for the 3 years preceding the start of my course, as long as I can provide evidence in the form of temporary contracts / VISA / residence card. I am also still registered to a UK address for voting and bank accounts, all of which can be supplied in evidence.

With that in mind, can you see any reason why my application for loans may be rejected? I realise these things are decided on a case-by-case basis and don't expect a definitive answer, but would appreciate some reassurance about whether I'm likely to be rejected for the loans on the basis of my residence in Japan. Thanks in advance for any help!

Reply 1

oscarwilliam

OP

2

I should mention I am also a UK national!

Hi Oscarwilliam,

It will be treated as a case by case basis, the assessors will need to see the evidence to be able to confirm if they can accept this as a temporary break.

Thanks, Clare

Reply 3

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Original post by SFE Clare

Hi Oscarwilliam,

It will be treated as a case by case basis, the assessors will need to see the evidence to be able to confirm if they can accept this as a temporary break.

Thanks, Clare

Thank you for your response Clare!

As a follow up question, do you have any recommendations for what I should gather in evidence? I am planning to submit copies of each of my year-long contracts, a copy of my limited time residence card, UK-addressed bank statements, and a statement from my employers confirming that my employment was limited to a maximum of 5 years.

Original post by oscarwilliam

Thank you for your response Clare!

As a follow up question, do you have any recommendations for what I should gather in evidence? I am planning to submit copies of each of my year-long contracts, a copy of my limited time residence card, UK-addressed bank statements, and a statement from my employers confirming that my employment was limited to a maximum of 5 years.

Hi there,

Copies of each of your contracts, the residence card, UK Bank statements and the employer letter can be used as evidence. Do your contracts state an end date on them by any chance? Thanks, Ross

Reply 5

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Hi Ross, thanks for your response. Yes, each contract states an end date; the first Nov2021 - Aug2022, the second Aug2022 - Aug2023 and the third Aug2023 - Aug2024. Is this likely to help my case?

Hi Oscar, yes, if it shows the dates then this will be reviewed accordingly for you. Thanks, Jason

Reply 7

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Hi Jason, thanks again for your swift responses. I have a few more questions, and thank you in advance for your time.

Provided I pass the eligibility criteria for receiving a tuition / maintenance loan, I will be applying as an independent student (over 25 and planning to live with my partner, we are not married). However, at the time of application and until relatively close to the start of my course I am unlikely to know exactly where I will be living or what my partner's income will be - we will be flat hunting and she will be job hunting from mid-August this year. How will this situation be assessed? If needed I can provide my mother's address as a placeholder until we find an apartment.
I have read that income is taken from the preceding tax year - if so my partner would have been working in the same job as me, teaching English in Japan. Would her income from this job be applicable to my application? If so, would I need to include my income from our time in Japan in the household income, even though I will be studying and not working during my course? Apologies for the amount of questions!

Thanks, Oscar.

You do need to provide a contact address, however, you can update this once you have moved into your new address on your online account.

If you are applying for the maximum Maintenance Loan, we will require the financial details of your partner to be provided, even if overseas at the time. We would also require evidence since the income was from overseas. If you are applying in the 24/24 Academic Year, this will be from tax year 22/23. If the tax year in Japan runs from January, this will be 2022 tax year only.

Acceptable Overseas Income Evidence

•

Letter from the sponsor’s employer (confirming salary for the tax year).

•

Accountant’s letter.

•

Self-Assessment / P60 (or country equivalent).

•

Week 53 payslip.

•

Month 12 payslip.

Thanks, Leah.

Reply 9

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Hi Leah,
Thanks again for your fast and helpful responses, and those of everyone else. Sorry for asking so many questions!
Given the information above about my address history, on the first page of the student finance application for 2024/25 which asks "Where do you normally live when not studying?", should I enter my current address in Japan, or the address at which I will usually live when not studying upon my arrival back in the U.K.? The U.K. address would be the same address to which I will demonstrate being registered at for my application. Thanks!
Kind regards, Oscar.

Original post by oscarwilliam

Hi Leah,
Thanks again for your fast and helpful responses, and those of everyone else. Sorry for asking so many questions!
Given the information above about my address history, on the first page of the student finance application for 2024/25 which asks "Where do you normally live when not studying?", should I enter my current address in Japan, or the address at which I will usually live when not studying upon my arrival back in the U.K.? The U.K. address would be the same address to which I will demonstrate being registered at for my application. Thanks!
Kind regards, Oscar.

Hi Oscar,

It would need to be your UK address where you would be residing during the Academic Year.

Thanks, Ross

Reply 11

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Thanks Ross,
I have reached the end of the application and haven't had the opportunity to upload evidence of the temporary nature of my stay in Japan. Will I be contacted to provide evidence, or is there another way which I can submit evidence?
Kind regards, Oscar.

Original post by oscarwilliam

Thanks Ross,
I have reached the end of the application and haven't had the opportunity to upload evidence of the temporary nature of my stay in Japan. Will I be contacted to provide evidence, or is there another way which I can submit evidence?
Kind regards, Oscar.

Hi Oscar,

Yes, we'll send you an e-mail shortly to request this evidence.

However, feel free to upload anything now using the 'upload supporting evidence' option. This should show on the right-hand side of your account.

Thanks, Graeme

Hi Oscar,

Now your application has been submitted I would advise you upload the evidence of your break in residency now just so we have it. When you log into your online account click on the current academic year. When this pages loads up on the right hand side you should see an expand button. If you click on this it should give you a drop down menu and you should see an upload of evidence option here. You can use the link below as it will show you what to do.

https://youtu.be/rOMx_EG5JWk

Thanks, Drew

Reply 14

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Thank you for all of your answers, your help has been very useful!

I have submitted my application and supporting evidence, and my partner has been contacted to provide income details. However, after following the link to support my application and logging into her pre-existing SLC account, a page stating “We can’t find your application right now. Your personal details do not match what the student provided us with in their application. Check if you are using the correct account.” appears. This is the same when she searches for my application via the “Support a student’s application” option from her account. The only possible discrepancy I can think may exist between what I provided and the details of her account is that I didn’t include her middle name. If this is the issue, is there a way I can change my application to include her middle name? Alternatively, can I upload her completed PFF2 form to my supporting evidence link?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Kind regards, Oscar.

Original post by oscarwilliam

Thank you for all of your answers, your help has been very useful!
I have submitted my application and supporting evidence, and my partner has been contacted to provide income details. However, after following the link to support my application and logging into her pre-existing SLC account, a page stating “We can’t find your application right now. Your personal details do not match what the student provided us with in their application. Check if you are using the correct account.” appears. This is the same when she searches for my application via the “Support a student’s application” option from her account. The only possible discrepancy I can think may exist between what I provided and the details of her account is that I didn’t include her middle name. If this is the issue, is there a way I can change my application to include her middle name? Alternatively, can I upload her completed PFF2 form to my supporting evidence link?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Kind regards, Oscar.

Hi there,

The PFF2 form would be absolutely fine. With the 24/25 Academic Year the name you provide for your sponsor would need to match exactly what is on their account. If the names don't match please upload the PFF2 form.

Thanks, Ross

Reply 16

oscarwilliam

OP

2

Original post by Ross SLC

Hi there,
The PFF2 form would be absolutely fine. With the 24/25 Academic Year the name you provide for your sponsor would need to match exactly what is on their account. If the names don't match please upload the PFF2 form.
Thanks, Ross

Understood, thank you very much! Will it be okay that the PFF2 form and evidence of income are uploaded via my account rather than hers? Since her account hasn't been successfully linked to my application, she is unable to upload the form in her account.

Thanks, Oscar

Original post by oscarwilliam

Understood, thank you very much! Will it be okay that the PFF2 form and evidence of income are uploaded via my account rather than hers? Since her account hasn't been successfully linked to my application, she is unable to upload the form in her account.
Thanks, Oscar

Hi Oscar,

You can upload it on your account.

Thanks,
Claire

Applying for student finance from Japan

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