The Student Room Group

SFE Eligibility

Hello,I'm a British citizen who moved to the UK from a non-EU country mid/end of October 2022, after living there for around 9 years. I'm looking to apply for a student loan for 2025 - 2026 university entry as I am unable to fund my course without this. The eligibility rule for SFE is that you need to be resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the first day of the first academic year of your course. I will miss this date by a month.If I don't receive the loan to start in 2025, I will not be able to study as according to all the universities that I have applied for, my grades will expire by then (I graduated high school in 2020). I moved to the UK with no initial intention of studying here and have been working/paying taxes since Nov 2022. The center of my life is now England. My home country is at war, and I can’t return to study there. I don't expect that my request for the student loan will be accepted initially but would there be room for leniency/an exception to be made if I appeal? Thanks in advance for any responses.
Hi there,

We can accept evidence that your break in residency was of a temporary nature however as you lived there for 9 years I do not think this would apply to you. If you do not have the 3 years residency in the UK before the 1st day of the 1st academic year you would not be eligible for funding. Would this course start in September 2025? Would you have the 3 years residency in October 2025?

Thanks, Drew

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