Eligibility based on residency

Hi everyone,
I'm applying for student finance but am concerned about my eligibility based on my past residency. I know I can't get a definitive answer from here, but I'm looking for some guidance...
I am a British Citizen (was born and brought up here) and am currently a professional athlete who has been contracted to perform in the US for the past 4 years. Each visa I had was a temporary athletes visa for one year at a time and depended on my performance. Each of my contracts was for one season only and stated my dates of engagement with the company. At no point did I apply for permanent residency and my entrance to the US has always been dependent on me having a return flight already booked to go home to the UK before my visa expired.
Due to the cost of travelling back and forth I was only able to return home 2-3 times per year, however, I have maintained my UK bank account and I am registered on the electoral register in the UK.
Aside from this, my income for the last few years has all been in the US and because of that I have had to pay tax in the US, not in the UK.
Based on the information above is it likely that I will still qualify for student finance since my permanent residence has remained the UK and it has always been my intention to return home to the UK permanently?
Thank you!