Am I eligible?
Answer six questions. Get a straight answer in about a minute.
This is a guide, not a decision. Student Finance England makes the final call — but after several thousand of these, our advisors are rarely surprised.
Who qualifies for funded study
You need one qualifying status, plus all three of the general conditions.
One of these statuses
Plus all of these
Some visa types and residency histories also qualify, and the rules around previous study have exceptions. If the checker above says unsure, that is genuinely worth a call rather than a dead end.
What Student Finance actually covers
Two separate loans that people constantly confuse. Here is the difference.
Tuition loan
Covers your course fees up to the annual cap. Paid straight to the university — the money never touches your account.
Maintenance loan
Covers living costs, paid into your bank in three termly instalments. The amount depends on where you study and your household income.
Repayment on your terms
You repay 9% of anything you earn above £25,000, taken like tax. Earn less and you pay nothing. Written off after 40 years.
What we do once you qualify
Eligibility check
We confirm you qualify before you commit to anything at all.
Application support
Paperwork, personal statement, CV, and every message to the university.
Student Finance guidance
We walk the funding application line by line so nothing gets rejected.
We stay with you
Right up to enrolment, and after. Most questions land in week two.
Funding questions, answered
Very likely, yes. EU Settled Status, Pre-Settled Status, Indefinite Leave to Remain, refugee status and Humanitarian Protection all commonly qualify, as do some visa types. The rules are specific — take the eligibility check or book a call and we will confirm your case in minutes.
Two separate things. A tuition loan covers your course fees and is paid directly to the university — you never handle it. A maintenance loan covers living costs and is paid into your account in three termly instalments.
Only once you earn above the Plan 5 threshold of £25,000, and only 9% of what you earn above it. On a £30,000 salary that is roughly £37 a month, taken automatically like tax. Anything outstanding after 40 years is written off.
It can, depending on which benefits you receive and whether you study full or part time. Tell your advisor on the first call and they will flag exactly what to check before you commit.
Previous study can reduce your funded years, but it rarely rules you out entirely. Bring the dates and we will work out where you stand.
Still not sure where you stand?
Our advisors check unusual cases every single day. Twenty minutes on the phone will tell you more than an hour of reading.