UK National living in France

Hi, I'm 17 and am starting my course in September. I currently live in France and have been living there since I was 2, but I am English. Am I eligible for a UK maintenance loan (I want to apply for tuition and maintenance loans)? If so, do I need to do anything extra compared to someone living in the UK? I have an NI number and I can use my grandmother's UK address, do I need to be living in the UK for a certain amount of time? Thanks

Hi Graeme, thanks for your answer.
Yes I have lived in the UK for almost 2 years (from 2007 to 2009) but currently live in France (since 2009). I have a national insurance number from back when my parents created me a Child Trust Fund, but this number apparently needs to be "activated". However to activate it I need to be living in the UK. I aim to arrive in the UK before September 1st, can I apply for student finance when it opens (this Monday I think?) or do I have to wait until I arrive in the UK (around August/just before 1st September) before I apply?
Thanks again
Rudi

Thanks. You would need to have lived in the UK for three years prior to the start of your course to qualify for this - unless your time outside the UK was of temporary nature and you have evidence of this. Thanks, Jason

Hi Jason, thanks for your answer. I gave the same info I have given on this thread to SFE on the phone the other day and they told me that I would benefit from full home support (tuition and maintenance), and that I would just need to be living in the UK on or before 1st September 2025? They also said to be eligible for said full home support, I just have to have lived a chunk of my life in England as my main residency, which is the case from April 25th 2007 to April 1st 2009. Can you please help me, I'm getting a bit confused.
Thanks
Rudi

Hi Rudi,
Thank you for confirming. Sorry, this was my error as I didn't see you had stated you'd be in the EU for that time. If you go with the information provided when you called us and disregard what I've advised above. Thanks, Jason

Great, thanks. Another question, I have a national insurance number from back when my parents created me a Child Trust Fund, but this number apparently needs to be "activated". However to activate it I need to be living in the UK. I aim to arrive in the UK before September 1st, can I apply for student finance now (and enter it now) or do I have to wait until I arrive in the UK (around August/just before 1st September) before I apply?
Thanks again
Rudi

Hi there, you can enter this onto your account online now. Thanks, Jason

Hi Jason, thanks for that. So to confirm would I be able to create an application and input my NI number even though it's not activated (on the phone I was told that I would need to activate it, which means I would need to be in the UK)? Would I have to put in a UK Address (if yes that's fine, I can use my relative's) or can I put in my French one for the moment? Is it alright that I'm not living in the UK currently when doing my application, but will be on or before September 1st? And last question I do not yet have a UK bank account and won't have one until after April, can I still proceed? Thanks again

Hi there, when are you due to come to the UK and just to check, do you have a UK address yet? Thanks, Jason

Hi Jason, I will be coming to the UK around August, and will be staying in student accommodation, but I can use my grandmother's UK address for the moment as I won't be able to use the student accommodation address until I start. Would that be okay? Thanks, Rudi

Hi there, yes and then you can amend this via your online account if you change address. This is so we know how to contact you and for any letters to be sent too. Thanks, Jason