Students are able to make their applications for student finance between January and March (depending on when Student Finance opens the process) in preparation for the start of their course in September.
You are advised to make your application for student finance as soon as possible after the application process opens and no later than the end of May so that your funding is in place in September. You can amend or cancel your application at a later date if necessary.
To make an application please visit your relevant awarding body below:
Students from England
Students from Wales
Students from Scotland
Students from Northern Ireland
Students from Ireland
- Contact the Student Finance Services European Team (+44 (01) 141 243 3570 EU_team@slc.co.uk) to request an application form.
Other EU Students
Please look at the government guidance for new EU students here.
Please note: You have to make an application every year you are studying for the next year
Further support
Other support that can be accessed through Student Finance includes:
If you are a full-time student in higher education and have children, you may be able to apply for the Parent's Learning Allowance for some additional support to assist with book and course costs.
If you’re a full-time student in higher education and an adult depends on you financially, you may be able to apply for an Adult’s Dependants’ Grant.
The Childcare Grant is available to full-time students in higher education who pay for Ofsted Registered childcare.
Going to university as an independent student can be an intimidating process if you are estranged from your parents. Please see the Stand Alone guide on how you can apply for your loans as an independent student.
For additional support, please email studentfundingservice@stmarys.ac.uk
Some Muslim students and members of other faiths may not want to take out funding from the UK government's student loans, due to the interest added.
The Department for Education continues to meet with the NUS and the Federation of Student Islamic Societies to discuss this issue. FOSIS is a national umbrella organisation representing Muslim students and Islamic societies at UK universities.
The UK government has been looking at the possibility of an alternative finance system available alongside traditional student loans that will avoid the payment of interest but results in identical repayments to the conventional system. This funding would be Sharia (Shariah, Shari’ ah) compliant and overseen by a Sharia advisory committee.
A public consultation ended in 2014 which has resulted in an agreement to offer an alternative finance product. This 'Takaful' product has received preliminary approval from Al Rayan Bank's Sharia supervisory committee. See chapter 4, paragraphs 27-36 of 2015 government green paper 'Fulfilling our potential Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice' [PDF 2,197KB].
If you are a Muslim student and have secured your main source of funding such as savings or family support for your studies, you may be eligible for some additional financial help from the National Zakat Foundation. Find out if you are eligible and what you might receive on the National Zakat Foundation website.