Student finance – how to apply

Full-time and part-time undergraduate applications for 2024 to 2025 are now open! You should:

  • Apply online now, it takes less than 30 minutes to complete.
  • Apply using your preferred choice, you can change your uni/course details later if you need to!

Find out what you need to know about student finance before you apply and visit our:

Currently a student and need help with a query or problem? Find answers to your questions on the GOV.UK page.  

New students

1. Set up a student finance account

When you register you’ll be given a unique Customer Reference Number and be asked to create a password and secret answer. You should keep these safe as you’ll need them to log into your account to check the progress of your application and re-apply for student finance next year.

2. Fill in and submit your application

The first time you apply you’ll be asked for proof of identity. You can easily do this by giving us your valid UK passport details. If you don’t have a UK passport, you may have to send us evidence. See section 3 to find out what to send.

You will also need the following information to complete your application:
  • course start date and end date
  • bank account details
  • National Insurance number

If you want to apply for student finance that depends on your household income, we’ll ask your parents or partner for their National Insurance number and their personal income details so we can check their income details with HMRC.

When you apply for student finance you'll need to agree to our terms and conditions

3. Submit any evidence we ask for

We may contact you, or your parents/partner to ask for evidence to support your application. They can find out more information on how to provide evidence on Gov.uk.

If you're under 25 and you’ve had no contact with your parents for over a year, or you’ve been in the care of a local authority since the age of 16, you might be able to apply as an ‘independent student’.

Tuition fee only funding students

If you qualify for the tuition fee only funding, application forms are available to download at www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms.

You should fill in a paper application form and send it to Student Finance England at the following address:

Student Finance Service
Student Loans Company
PO Box 89
Darlington
County Durham
United Kingdom
DL1 9AZ

 

Continuing students

To re-apply for student finance, sign into your student finance account and apply online as soon as possible to get some money in time for starting your course.

Tuition fee only students should re-apply using the relevant paper form available to download at www.gov.uk/student-finance-form.

Evidence

Proof of identity

UK nationals

If you don’t have a UK passport, you can upload a copy of your original UK birth or adoption certificate to your online account.

 

EU Nationals

EU Nationals with a valid status under the EU Settlement Scheme will be able to prove their Settled or Pre-Settled status using an EUSS Share Code.

You can provide the share code on your application or upload a copy to your online account.

For help providing the right share code, visit: www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status

You don’t need to send evidence by post to prove your identity if you give us your EUSS share code.

Non-UK and non-EU nationals

If you’re a non-UK and non-EU national, you'll need to send us your original passport or Home Office biometric residence permit card.

If we ask you to provide us with a Home Office share code you won’t need to send identity evidence.

You’ll also need to send us proof of your lawful residency status in the UK for the full 3 years prior to the start of your course. Your biometric residence permit card or proof of your visa stamped in your passport are both acceptable forms of evidence to prove your status. We’ll return your original documents using a secure method of post.

It’s important to apply early and send us your evidence as soon as possible. We’ll return your evidence as soon as we’ve checked it so you don’t need to worry about being without your original documents for long.

Don't send your original documents to us if you’re due to travel within 8 weeks as we can’t guarantee they’ll be sent back in time. Instead, you should send the evidence when you return from travelling.

Proof of household income

If you’re applying for finance that depends on your household income, we’ll ask your parents or partner to give us their National Insurance numbers and details of their personal income.

We usually don’t to ask your parents or partner to provide evidence of their income once they’ve supported your application, we check their details with HRMC. We may contact your parents or partner to ask for evidence of their:

  • marital status – if they’re separated or divorced
  • income – if they’re living abroad or finalising their current year income assessment.

They should only send evidence if we've asked for it, as sending evidence we haven't asked for will cause delays to you getting your money.

Your parents or partner will need to give us financial details every year you apply for student finance. 

If their income is 15% lower than the previous tax year, they can submit an estimate of their financial details for the current tax year. Find out how to do this and to download a Current Year Income application form.

Changing your details

You must tell us about any change in your circumstances which might affect your student finance.

The most common examples are:

  • you’ve changed university or college
  • you’ve changed your course (but stayed at the same university)
  • you’ve left your course
  • your name or contact details have changed

Before your initial course start date, you can change your application online or by filling in a ‘Change of Circumstances’ form, which you can download from your online account.

After your course start date, you’ll need to ask your university or college to tell us about any of the following changes:

  • your tuition fee amount
  • your course details
  • your course intensity
  • you repeat a year
  • you leave higher education
  • you suspend your studies

If you don’t tell us about a change to your circumstances, you might end up being overpaid. In this case, you might have to start repaying earlier and before your income is over the repayment threshold.