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About Student Finance England
Student Finance Direct has been replaced by a new service: Student Finance England. Full-time higher education students from England can use its secure system to apply for finance online - and parents and partners can support an application online. If you've already registered online with Student Finance Direct, you can log in to your student finance account using the same details as before.
What’s new about Student Finance England?
Student Finance England will help you work out the financial support you’ll get, apply for finance and keep track of your payments. You can:
- create an online student finance account and use it to apply earlier than in previous years
- manage your student finance account online
- if you’re starting your course in 2009/2010, use the Student Finance Calculator for a quick guide to how much you can get - and to see what bursaries may be available at your preferred university or college
What’s happened to Student Finance Direct?
Student Finance Direct has been replaced by Student Finance England.
The information, guidance and online services which used to be available on studentfinancedirect.co.uk are now provided by Student Finance England through Directgov’s student finance section:
- www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
If you’ve already registered online with Student Finance Direct, you will be able to use your existing login details to get access to these services.
I’ve already made my application for 2008/2009 - do I need to do anything as a result of the change?
No. Like Student Finance Direct, the new service is provided by the Student Loans Company - so if you’ve already applied, your application and payments will be processed in the normal way.
I’ve already got an online account with Student Finance Direct - do I need to set up a new one?
No. You can continue to use your existing account through Student Finance England. Your login details will remain the same. Your ART ID will not change - although it will now be called a ‘Customer Reference Number’.
There’s no need to contact Student Finance England about the change.
If you’re a new student
Apply online for 2009/2010
It’s best to apply as early as possible in order to ensure that Student Finance England receives your application in good time.
Online applications are quick and easy. You can save changes to the interactive application form as you go, and print off a copy for your records.
If you’re starting a course in 2009/2010, you can also enter your details into the Student Finance Calculator for a guide to how much you’re likely to get.
If you’re continuing your course
If you’ve applied for student finance before, you may continue to get letters with the Student Finance Direct logo.
You can use your Customer Reference Number (previously called an Art ID) to login to the online service. Your password and secret answer will be the same.
Your local authority will look after your application.
To find out how much you can get this year, see ‘Student finance: after your first year’.
Applying for the 2009/2010 academic year
If your local authority processed your application for 2008/2009, they will do so again for 2009/2010. But you can still use the Student Finance England service to apply online.
One of the big changes for 2009/2010 is that applications are open earlier than in previous years.
Parents and partners of students
Support an application online
Parents and partners of students can use the new Student Finance Calculator to find out how much financial help the student is likely to get.
You can also register with Student Finance England to support a student’s application. After you have registered, you can check back at any time for an update on the progress of the application - and to see copies of any letters you have been sent.
If you have used Student Finance Direct’s online service to support an application in the past, you can use the same details to login. Your Art ID is now known as a Customer Reference Number, but it will be the same as before. Your password and secret answer will also be unchanged.
Need help using Student Finance England services?
Student Finance England’s online services are designed to be easy to use, but a dedicated customer services team is available to answer your enquiries and offer advice.
If you have completed your studies
See ‘Repaying Student Loans’ for information on how and when you pay back your Student Loans - and links to online services that let you work out how much you have paid back and change your contact details.
Additional links
Student finance online services
