UK national living in Spain - eligibility for loan with SFE

Hi, I am 18, have lived in Spain last 8yrs but as I just arrived in UK for the summer before starting uni, submitted application for loan with my grandparents Welsh address. so my application went through SF Wales who rejected as I dont have proof of residence in Wales, nor will study in Wales. I am trying to apply to SF England who did say on the phone that I am eligible. It is impossible to make an application as my account takes me to SF WALES! HELP

Hi there,
You'd need to apply on a paper application for Student Finance England. If you applied online for Wales then your account will be locked to them, a paper application would override this.
Are you a UK National? What was the reason for living in Spain?
Thanks,
Ross

yes, that is what SF Wales told me yesterday, doing the paper application now. Yes UK passport holder, mother is Welsh. (I only have one nationality - British) Reason for Spain - parents work. we were here before brexit

Thanks for confirming.
We would need evidence of your temporary break from the UK. Were your parents employment contracts temporary? Have they moved back to the UK with you?
Thanks,
Ross

thanks Claire, yes Im in the process of completing the paper application now. It is quite complicated as it requests declaration of salary (means tested) for maintenance loan, which I didn't necessarily want. As my parents are both taxed and employed in spain, its not possible to access their records on HMRC records. its not easy to complete!

Hi Welshlisa, We are unable to confirm income via HMRC unless employment was in the UK. We would require evidence to be provided from parents of their income for the requested Tax Year. Just to clarify, you mentioned in the previous message -It is quite complicated as it requests declaration of salary (means tested) for maintenance loan, which I didn't necessarily want. Is it you don't want to be means tested based on their household income? Thanks, Angela

just that we only wanted to apply for tuition fee loan.. as the means testing seems very complicated with spanish tax residency

Thanks and is it the EU24N form you are completing? Thanks, Jason

HI Jason, no I was doing the P1 but prefer to just apply for tuition fees loan at this stage as we are so late in the application. We are in the system in Wales so Im not sure if we should use that customer ref number as we want to apply to SF England not wales! I am printing out the EU24N form now and repeating it all
hope this is the right one!

Hi there. Yes, you would still use the same Customer Reference Number (CRN) when you are reapplying as you will only ever have the one account. If you want to apply instead for the Tuition Fee only then yes you would complete the EU application form. Thanks, David

H David, this form eu24N is asking us to send the original UK passport. This is not possible - we are living in Spain and I need this to travel to the UK soon! Can I send a photocopy - certified? on the original application (which was directed to SF wales and rejected). they did not require us to send original UK passport, as his identify can be verified using just the passport number.

Hi,
Are you part of the EU Settlement Scheme?
Thanks,
Ross

Hi Ross, no I'm British, mother British, I have a normal British passport. We just don't want to apply for the maintenance loan as it requires means testing, and as parents have all income in Spain, its just too complicated to prove income etc ugently as we are so late applying. and as we applied with my parents old address in Wales, this whole application bounced to SF WALES who rejected it as I'm not studying in Wales. So- doing the paper application for tuition fees only. which now asks for the original passport to be sent. Really can't do that as we are flying in next few weeks... seems I'm in a rabbit hole here!

Hi there, if you are a UK national with the required residency in the UK then you would apply online via your account or on the PN1 form. You don't need to apply for the maintenance loan and this doesn't require means testing. You can click 'no' for this where applicable on the PN1 form. Thanks, Jason

Thanks Jason and team. I'm British but live in EU since 8years. "required residency in the UK"? apparently residency in the EU is fine. We are stuck in a quandry as we originally applied online and put my mums Welsh address (as I am here for the summer before going to Uni in England) and Student finance WALES rejected the loan application. They said (and SF ENGLAND confirmed) that we have to apply on paper as we are now stuck in the system in Wales and they cant delete. I cant apply to SF England online as it reverts to Wales each time. OK I have done the PN1 form - shall I just not complete the whole means testing part? on paper I didnt see the part where we could NOT apply for maintenance loan