Website of the UK government

Are you eligible?

As a general guide, Student Finance England (or your local authority, if you started in the 2008/2009 academic year or earlier) will look at:

• the place where you’re ‘ordinarily resident’
• whether you have taken a higher education course before
• your age

Residence

To qualify for student finance as a student from England, you will need to meet all of the residence requirements. Generally, on the first day of the academic year in which your course starts, you must:

• be a UK national or have 'settled status' in the UK (under the terms of the Immigration Act 1971)
• be ‘ordinarily resident’ in England
• have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years immediately before starting the course - and not wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education

Students who are settled in the UK may also be eligible if they have exercised a right of residence in the EEA or Switzerland before returning to the UK to study.

You’re 'ordinarily resident' somewhere if it’s where you normally live. It doesn’t matter if you’re out of the country temporarily from time to time.

'Settled status' means that there are no immigration restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK.

But this doesn’t cover all circumstances - even if you don’t meet these criteria, you may still qualify for student finance.

Previous study

In general, you’ll only be able to get the finance package for higher education students if you’re doing a first higher education qualification – or, in some cases, ‘topping up’ a lower-level higher education qualification.

This will often mean financial help for the length of your course - plus, if necessary, one extra year to cover any false starts or transfers.

There are specific rules on previous study if you want to do a part-time or distance learning course. See ‘Finance for part-time students: applying for the first time’ for details.

• Finance for part-time students - applying for the first time

Your age

To qualify for a Student Loan to help with accommodation and living costs (called the ‘Student Loan for Maintenance’), you need to be aged under 60 when you start your course.

There’s no upper age limit on grants and the Student Loan for Tuition Fees.

Is your course and institution eligible?

Eligibility for student finance depends on the course you do and the university or college you go to as well as your personal situation.

• Student finance: course and institution eligibility

Back to the main page on ‘Eligibility for student finance’

Not sure if you qualify? Return to ‘Eligibility for student finance’ for advice on what to do.

• Eligibility for student finance