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You can apply for 2026/27 SFE funding now.

Make sure that you apply for the maximum amount of living costs funding that you are eligible for. The information on our Undergraduate Maintenance Loan web page provides detail on how to be means tested.

These short will guide you through the SFE application process. The easiest and fastest way to is online.

SFE calculate your Maintenance Loan based on your parents'/ or partner's household income. You may only be receiving the minimum Maintenance Loan because SFE haven’t checked your household income yet. Your parents/ or partner need to supply their .

Make sure that you apply for the maximum amount of living costs funding that you are eligible for. The information on our Undergraduate Maintenance Loan web page provides detail on how to be means tested.

If you believe that SFE have assessed your parents’/ or partner’s income incorrectly. Please book a with us.

If you have supported yourself financially for at least 3 years, or had no contact with your parents for over a year, you might be able to apply as an . If you would like support with applying for and evidencing independent status, please contact the ºÚÁÏÍø Transitions team.

It’s important that parents do provide household income, as this means that SFE can assess you correctly and provide you with the maximum Maintenance Loan available to you.

To check that that you are applying for the maximum amount of living costs funding that you are eligible for, please read our Undergraduate Maintenance Loan web page, which provides detail on how to be means tested.

If you are estranged from your parents, you may be able to apply to SFE for . Our ºÚÁÏÍø Transitions team can offer advice and support on the application process.

If you don’t feel that you qualify for independent status, please book a 15-minute , so that we can advise you further.

If you believe that SFE haven’t assessed the gross household income correctly, check with your parents/ or partner first. SFE use the household income from the previous tax year (e.g. if you are studying in 2025/26, SFE use the April 2023 to April 2024 tax year).

If your parents'/ or partner's income has dropped by 15% or more since that tax year (e.g. they lost their job/ or took a large pay cut/ changed from full-time to part-time), you should see if you can get re-assessed on the current household income via a assessment.

Make sure that you apply for the maximum amount of living costs funding that you are eligible for, the information on our Undergraduate Maintenance Loan web page provides detail on how to be means tested.

If you are not sure about the household income calculation or applying for a Current Year Income assessment, please book a 30-minute with us.

The Maintenance Loan is paid to you, into your bank account, in three instalments. For September-start students, this is usually at the start of every term: October, January, March/April (depending on when Easter falls). If you started your course in January or March, your payment dates will vary.

If you are a NEW student, the University will need to confirm your registration with SFE for you to receive your Maintenance Loan. Student Fees and Finance send this electronically to SFE once you are registered on your course. Your Maintenance Loan payment should be in your bank account within 3–5 working days from the date ºÚÁÏÍø confirm your registration.

If you are a current student, your registration will be confirmed automatically.

If you are not sure when your Maintenance Loan will be paid, log in to your SFE online account to check your payment schedule.

It’s best to check your online SFE account first.

Once you have logged into your SFE account, you should see a ‘My Account’ page.

• Select ‘Your Finance’ – this is where you will find the option to see your payments
• Click on ‘Academic Year 2025/26 under ‘View Your Payments’
• Scroll down to Maintenance Loan
• It will tell you the status of your Maintenance Loan (for example: it may say ‘Blocked’)
• If you need to do anything, it will be listed on ‘Your To-Do List.’

If you are unable to access your SFE account online, or are unsure about what you need to do next, please contact SFE by telephoning: 0300 100 0607.

If you have contacted SFE and there are things you are unsure of, please book a 30-minute with us.

We can call SFE with you during a face-to-face appointment. Please book a 30-minute with us, so that we can find out what’s causing the delay and how long it will take to sort the problem out.

If you are unable to attend an appointment, you can set up consent-to-share so that we can telephone SFE on your behalf.

You can now do this via your online account, we have created information on how to set up SFE consent-to-share via your online account, which provides step-by-step instructions on how to do it. Or alternatively you can telephone SFE: 0300 100 0607 and ask to set up 'consent-to-share'. SFE will ask you to provide the following information:

• Name of university: ºÚÁÏÍø
• Relationship to the student: Higher Education Provider
• Password: Welfare (or you can choose your own if you prefer)
• SFE might ask you for an expiry date: we would suggest you set this as the end of your course (or you can opt to set it earlier than that if you prefer).

Once you have set up consent-to-share, please email moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk to let us know. When you email us, tell us:

• your ºÚÁÏÍø student number (P number)
• your SFE Customer Reference Number (11 digits)
• what you’d like help with
• your chosen password (if not using our suggestion).

We will contact you when we have spoken to SFE on your behalf. It may take up to five working days for us to do this.

There are a number of reasons why students are unable to get funding from SFE. This is usually due to previous study. We would need to get some information to advise you, please with us.

If you are from the and are studying, or planning to study, in the UK you will have a number of considerations.

If you started a course on or after 1 August 2021, you must have Settled or Pre-settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme and you would apply to the to get student finance. If you have Settled Status, you are likely to receive both the Tuition Fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan. If you have Pre-settled Status, you will receive the Tuition Fee Loan.

If you came to the UK from 1 January 2021, you may need to . However, if you have a family member with Citizens Rights in the UK, you can apply for the . You must do this within 90 days of arriving in the UK. Under this scheme, if you are granted Pre-settled Status based on your family member, you will receive the Tuition Fee Loan only. If you start working, you may be able to access full support (the Tuition Fee Loan and the Maintenance Loan).

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

When you apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, you will be given Settled or Pre-settled Status. You will also need to apply for an EU Share Code. When you apply for this, apply under the heading "Another Reason". EU Share Codes are valid for 30 days.

If you are a NEW student and have Settled Status:

• apply online to SFE
• you will need your EUSS Status Award letter and your EUSS Share Code.

If you are a NEW student and have Pre-settled Status:

• apply to SFE using a EU25N form; this is a paper application
• you will need your EUSS Status Award letter and your EUSS share Code.

If you are a returning student:

• apply to SFE in the normal way
• you do not need an EU Share Code.

Migrant Worker status is a complex area and we encourage you to get advice and support. Please please book a 30-minute with us.

If you are resitting with attendance, you will be able to get student finance for each block.

If you are not resitting all four blocks, your funding will be reduced because you will not be in attendance for the full year.

In line with standard student finance regulations, you must be in attendance to be eligible for student finance. If you are resitting without attendance, you will not be charged a tuition fee for the block(s) you are repeating and you are not expected to attend university – therefore you will be unable to receive any student finance (for example, no tuition fee loan, maintenance loan or grants). You will need to support yourself through employment and/or family support.

Student Finance England (SFE) will need to assess your application on a case-by-case basis. This is because how much you are entitled to will be determined by a number of factors, for example:

• The number of blocks you are resitting with attendance
• When you will be studying these blocks
• How much your household income is.

ºÚÁÏÍø will be unable to confirm your resit details to SFE until the results of the resit boards have been added to the Student Records system by your Faculty (which is likely to be the end of September). SFE will then take about 6 weeks to update your entitlement and notify you about this.

Where the blocks you are resitting with attendance are not adjacent, SFE can only assess you for the first block(s) and they will then have to reassess you once you commence your non-adjacent block(s). For example, if you are resitting blocks 1 and 4, SFE will assess you for block 1, then once you have started block 4 they will add this to your assessment.

To get a ball-park figure of how much Maintenance Loan you might get, more information is provided under How much Maintenance Loan might I get?

ºÚÁÏÍø has devised a calculator based on the Student Loans Company guidance to give you an idea of how much Maintenance Loan you might get. Please note this is a ball-park figure and your exact amount will be confirmed by Student Finance England (SFE). More information is provided under When will I know how much student finance I will get?

To use this calculator, you will need to know your 2025/26 Maintenance Loan full year entitlement amount. This can be found on your SFE letter/ portal. You will also need to know when the blocks you will be resitting with attendance will take place, as you will need to select whether you will be in attendance for each block.

This means when you will be in attendance in 2025/26, not which blocks you failed, as this could be different. For example, you may have failed blocks 2 and 3 in 2024/25 but these may now be running in block 1 and 2. You can find this information out from your Student Advice Centre.

Please select the Year 1 calculator or Year 2 and 3 calculator as appropriate (these calculators may not work well on mobile devices, please try them on a PC if you experience any difficulties. These may not open correctly on the Microsoft Edge browser).

Please note this calculator is not suitable for students in receipt of grants – if you are in this situation, please email moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk so that we can book you an appointment.

Your Maintenance Loan will only be reduced if you are not resitting with attendance all 4 blocks. If you are only required to resit 2 blocks (with attendance), you can choose to repeat the year instead (i.e. resit all 4 blocks, with attendance), which would enable you to get the full year of funding. If you choose to only resit the 2 blocks (with attendance), or you are only resitting 1 block (with attendance), this means you will have periods of the academic year when you are not required to be in attendance. You could look to gain full-time employment during these periods to supplement your funding.

If you have yet to start your resits, try to find a job now, so that you can start saving up in advance. If you have a student bank account with an interest-free overdraft, see if you can extend your agreed limit. Money Saving Expert lists the current top . You should also speak to family and friends to see if they can support you.

Check if you are eligible to apply to the ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund, however, there is no guarantee of an award and it is not designed to cover a shortfall of Maintenance Loan. Successful applications would only receive a small contribution towards costs. Award amounts may be determined by the number of blocks you are resitting, or whether you are repeating the whole year.

If you are resitting only 1 or 2 blocks (with attendance) and this includes block 1, it is unlikely you will get your payment on 29th September 2025. This is because ºÚÁÏÍø will be unable to confirm your resit details to Student Finance England (SFE) until the results of the resit boards have been added to the Student Records system by your Faculty (which is likely to be the end of September). SFE will then take about 6 weeks to update your entitlement. Only after your application has been updated by SFE, will ºÚÁÏÍø be able to confirm your registration, which will release your Maintenance Loan to you.

If your resits (with attendance) do not start until block 2, block 3 or block 4, you will only receive the first instalment of your revised Maintenance Loan once you have started your first block.

You should speak to your accommodation provider and explain there will be a delay to you receiving your funding and ask for an extension. However, you also need to bear in mind that your revised Maintenance Loan may not cover your rent, so you may need to negotiate a different payment plan with the provider. If you are finding it difficult to negotiate with your provider, please book a 15-minute .

More information is provided under What do I do if I won’t have enough money to pay for my living costs for the year?

If you are concerned about buying food, see if family or friends can help in the short-term. If you have a student bank account with an interest-free overdraft, see if you can extend your agreed limit. If you are unable to pursue these opportunities for support, please book a 15-minute .

If you started your course at ºÚÁÏÍø prior to 2023/24 and you are resitting with attendance, each 30-credit block will cost £1,976 (for Home students)

If you started your course at ºÚÁÏÍø from 2023/24 onwards and you are resitting with attendance, each 30-credit block will cost £2,384 (for Home students)

If you are resitting without attendance, you will not be charged any tuition fees.

If you are resitting without attendance, you will not be charged a tuition fee and therefore will not need a tuition fee loan.

If you are resitting with attendance, you will be able to get a tuition fee loan for the blocks that you are resitting, providing you have not exhausted your +1 year (see below).

Student Finance England (SFE) will fund you for the length of your course, plus give you an additional year (+1). For instance, if your course is 3 years in length, SFE would fund you for 3 years + 1 = 4 years funding entitlement. They will then deduct any previous Higher Education (H.E.) study you have done (even if not completed). This remaining entitlement is allocated to the final year of the course first and worked backwards. Please see examples below:

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Hamza is on a 3-year course. He has only had one attempt at Year 1 on a course at ºÚÁÏÍø in 2024/25 previously, and has failed 3 blocks, which he needs to resit with attendance. The calculation would be:

3 [standard duration of course] + 1 = 4 – 1 [number of previous academic years where H.E. study was undertaken] = 3

3 years funding entitlement remaining, which is allocated to Year 3, then Year 2, and then the resits for Year 1, meaning Hamza would receive a tuition fee loan for his resits with attendance.

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Alex is on a 3-year course. She previously started a degree at the University of Wolverhampton, which she left after 2 months. She has now studied one attempt at Year 1 on a course at ºÚÁÏÍø and failed 2 blocks, which she needs to resit with attendance. The calculation would be:

3 [standard duration of course] + 1 = 4 – 2 [number of previous academic years where H.E. study was undertaken] = 2

2 years funding entitlement remaining, which is allocated to Year 3, then Year 2, meaning Alex would need to self-fund her tuition fees for her resit with attendance on Year 1.

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If there were reasons outside of your control which have led to you needing to resit with attendance, then you may be able to apply for an additional year of tuition fee funding via Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR). Please see  for more information. It could be due an illness, bereavement, mental health etc, and you would need to be able to evidence this. If you need help applying for Compelling Personal Reasons, please email moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk so we can book you into an appointment.

Please contact ºÚÁÏÍø Money Advice:

Phone: 0116 257 7595 (select option 3, then option 3 again)

Email: moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk

Appointment: book a .

If you are considering transferring to a different course, speak to your Student Advice Centre who can give you advice on the process for transferring.

A course transfer may affect your student funding, please book a 15-minute  with us to discuss this further.

If you are considering repeating a year of study, speak to your Student Advice Centre. They will be able to advise you about the different repeat options that are available to you.

A repeat year is likely to affect your student funding, as you need to have enough standard entitlement available to complete your studies. Standard entitlement is based on the length of the course (usually a three-/ four-year degree) plus one year (known as a ‘+1 year’).

If you do not have enough years of standard entitlement to complete your degree, you will need to consider whether you might be eligible for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR). This is a request for SFE to consider your individual circumstances to potentially grant an extra year of Tuition Fee Loan at their discretion. Please read our other FAQ on this page What do I do if SFE say I’m not eligible for funding this year due to previous study? for more information.

If your course is delivered via block teaching, please read the information under the Block resits FAQs.

You can also book a 15-minute with us to discuss this further.

This can be due to SFE counting the number of years standard entitlement you have for your course and you may have used up your +1 year. However, SFE have discretion to potentially award an extra year of Tuition Fee Loan if you have previously had to interrupt/ repeat a year and if the reasons were due to circumstances beyond your control (e.g. serious ill health, family bereavement/crisis, mental health issues, caring responsibilities). If this is the case, it may be possible for you to apply to SFE for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR).

We can support you with this process, but if you would like to apply to SFE for CPR yourself, you can. The following guidelines may help you:

• apply for your student funding via SFE online as normal - you need to do this first
• once you have been assessed by SFE stating you won't get the Tuition Fee Loan, write a cover letter asking for your compelling personal reasons to be considered
• your letter should include the following details: your name, Customer Reference Number, course title, university name; which academic year you want CPR to be applied to if it were granted. State the academic year that you want to use for your CPR, include the date of your interruption/ suspension/ withdrawal if applicable/ or mention why you didn't pass the year
• you will need to include details of what happened, when it happened (dates) and how it impacted your studies (i.e. how it led to you needing to repeat a year, or led to you leaving your course)
• provide details on which staff member you liaised with at the university about the problems you were having at the time (course tutor/ personal tutor)
• state if you accessed professional support (e.g. GP, hospital, counselling, therapy, etc).
• collate supporting evidence (e.g. GP/ hospital/ counselling letters) and a letter from the staff you spoke to at the university
• when you have your letter and evidence ready, upload it all at the same time in your SFE online account.

If you would like help with your CPR letter and evidence needed, please either call 0116 257 7595 select option 3, option 3 again, or email: moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk to ask to be booked in with a Senior Welfare Officer.

If you are considering a Placement Year, speak to your faculty Placement Team who will be able to advise you about the placement options available to you.

Our Careers and Employability Team can also offer guidance on suitable placements.

If you are a 'Home' student, you may be able to receive living cost loans and grants through SFE for your Placement Year. There are different types of available for Home students depending on what kind of placement you will be doing.

If you are considering a Placement Year, please book a 15-minute with us.

If you are considering interrupting your studies study, speak to your Student Advice Centre as they will be able to advise you about the interruption process.

We can provide advice on the implications that interrupting has on your student funding. Please book a 15-minute  with us.

When you interrupt, Student Fees and Finance will let SFE know that you are taking a break from your studies. Your interruption date is taken from the last day that you attended university. When this is done, your student funding will stop and any Maintenance Loan that you receive after this date will need to be .

SFE are likely to recover any overpayment of the Maintenance Loan when you return to study. If the deduction of the overpayment causes you financial hardship, complete to ask to defer the overpayment to the next academic year. You can apply again the following academic year if the overpayment will continue to cause you financial hardship.

If you interrupt because of illness, health complications in pregnancy, or another serious personal reason, you may still be able to get the Maintenance Loan after you interrupt your course. If, after the 60 days, you are experiencing financial hardship, SFE may offer further support. Please refer to the question Student Loans Company have said I've been overpaid. What if I can't afford to repay it? on this FAQs page for more information.

When you are ready to return to study, you need to contact your faculty to let them know that you intend to return. You will then need to make an application to SFE for the academic year that you intend to return. Please refer to the other FAQ I need to repeat a year of study, what do I need to do? for information about the number of years of funding entitlement for a repeat year.

If you are considering withdrawing from your studies study, speak to your Student Advice Centre as they will be able to advise you about the withdrawal process.

We can provide advice on the implications that withdrawing has on your student funding. Please book a 15-minute  with us.

When you withdraw from your studies, Student Fees and Finance will let SFE know that you have chosen to leave your course. Your withdrawal date is taken from the last day that you attended university. When this is done, your student funding will stop and any Maintenance Loan that you receive after this date will need to be .

If the loss of funding will cause you to really struggle financially, you can apply to SFE for financial hardship. Please refer to the question Student Loans Company have said I've been overpaid. What if I can't afford to repay it? on this FAQs page for more information.

SFE are likely to recover any overpayment of the Maintenance Loan when you return to study. If the deduction of the overpayment causes you financial hardship, complete to ask to defer the overpayment to the next academic year. You can apply again the following academic year if the overpayment will continue to cause you financial hardship.

We can help you with this if needed, but if you would like to apply to SFE yourself, you can. The following guidelines may help you:

• you need to provide a realistic budget on SFE's financial hardship application form, it is better to overestimate than underestimate
• check you are declaring the right amount (e.g. monthly)
• state why you are unable to support yourself financially (e.g. unable to work due to ill health)
• explain how you will struggle to cover your essential living costs (food, rent etc) if the overpayment is clawed back from SFE
• you will need to provide bank statements as evidence, so make sure that the figures you provide on your form matches up with the transactions on your bank statements.

If you would like help applying to SFE for financial hardship, please either call 0116 257 7595 select option 3, option 3 again, or email: moneyadvice@dmu.ac.uk to ask to be booked in with a Senior Welfare Officer.

Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will change post-18 student finance in England to create a single funding system. LLE is designed to give new learners (who have not yet received government support to undertake higher-level learning) more flexibility over how you study. The aim is to help you develop new skills and gain qualifications at a time that’s right for you. It will replace:

• Higher Education (H.E.) student finance loans
• Advanced Learner Loans for level 4, 5 and 6 qualifications

New learners (who have not yet received government support to undertake higher-level learning) will be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) funding for the first time from September 2026, for courses and modules starting January 2027 onwards.

LLE will fund full years of study on courses currently funded by H.E. student finance, including:

• Traditional bachelor’s degrees
• Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE)
• Integrated master’s degrees – 4-year programme awarding master’s degree on top of bachelor’s degree
• Foundation years available before some degree courses start, as long as these form part of an overall bachelor’s degree
• Foundation degrees.

It will fund all Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), including both full courses and modules of those courses.

It will fund level 4, 5 and 6 modules from full level 6 parent qualifications – for example, degrees – in subject groups that address priority skills needs and align with the government’s industrial strategy. This will be for:

• Computing
• Engineering
• Architecture, building and planning, excluding the landscape gardening subgroup
• Physics and Astronomy
• Mathematical sciences
• Nursing and Midwifery
• Allied health
• Chemistry
• Economics
• Health and Social Care.

It will fund level 4 to 6 qualifications currently funded by Advanced Learner Loans, if there is clear learner demand and employer endorsement.

Under the LLE, tuition fee limits (total entitlement) will be based on credits, instead of the number of academic years in the course, as is the case under the existing system.

To qualify for tuition fee and maintenance loans, new learners (who have not yet received government support to undertake higher-level learning) must be undertaking a minimum of 30 credits in a course year. You are normally only eligible for student finance when you study between 30 and 180 credits a year. For example, a year of studying a bachelor’s degree full time is usually worth 120 credits.

New learners will be able to draw down loans to study up to 180 credits per year. This includes credits taken across multiple courses or modules within the same year.

New learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. This is currently equal to £39,160 (based on max fee rate of £9,790 per year in 2026/27). This means a learner could use their £39,160 to pay for more than 480 credits of learning, depending on the per-credit cost of the course.

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EXAMPLE: From January 2027, a new learner can borrow £39,160. They use £9,790 for a 120-credit course. They would have £29,370 of the LLE left for other courses, regardless of the size or duration of the original programme.

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LLE tuition loans will be available for people up to the age of 60. Learners who are over 60 may still qualify for maintenance support, though not a tuition fee loan.

Maintenance loans are designed to help learners with living costs while you study. There is a maximum limit based on a learner’s course features, living location, personal eligibility and household income. There won't be a different set of rules for full time and part time (a change from the current system).

Maintenance funding will be provided for all courses that qualify for LLE loan funding, if the course is not a distance learning course, with the exception of distance learners who can't attend due to a disability.

• New learners (who have not yet received government support to undertake higher-level learning) can only apply for the Maintenance Loan if you still have at least £1,587.50 left from your Tuition Fee Loan amount
• Learners taking fewer than 120 credits in a course year will have their loan reduced proportionally to the number of credits in the year
• Learners with a tuition fee loan balance of £0 will not be entitled to maintenance loans.

Additional funding

Depending on your circumstances, if applicable, you need to be studying at least 120 credits in each course year to get:

• Childcare Grant
• Parents’ Learning Allowance
• Adult Dependants’ Grant.

Depending on your circumstances, if applicable, you need to be studying at least 30 credits in each course year to get:

• Disabled Students’ Allowance.

New learners may be eligible even if you’ve studied before. This includes if you need help funding a qualification at the same or a lower level. For example, a second undergraduate degree.

The total Tuition Fee Loan amount you can usually get is £39,160 (at 2026/27 rates). Any government funding you have previously received to cover course tuition fees will usually be deducted from that total, leaving you with a smaller amount. The deducted amount will include previous Tuition Fee Loans which may take into account inflation.

If you did not have to pay tuition fees when you studied, the amount you would have paid will be deducted at today’s equivalent value.

If you have already used up the Tuition Fee Loan total amount of £39,160, you usually cannot apply for more student finance. You may be able to get more student finance through LLE funding, for example, if you are studying certain courses such as medicine, nursing or social work; or if you are assessed for compelling personal reasons.

Any student already studying at the point of the LLE launch, on 1st January 2027, will remain on your current funding arrangements.

This also applies to course transfers, if the first year of the course you transfer to, begins before 1st January 2027. In these cases, you will not migrate over to LLE.

There is more detail on the . It includes an overview, eligibility, what student loans and extra financial help you can get.

We will aim to update these FAQs when we receive updates from SFE.

To discuss tuition fee payments and instalment plans, please contact ºÚÁÏÍø's Income Section: either telephone: 44 (0)116 207 8810 or email income@dmu.ac.uk

If you get into difficulty paying your fees, please contact the Income Section as soon as possible, as delays can result in you being temporarily excluded from your course. Their contact details are telephone: 44 (0)116 207 8810 or email income@dmu.ac.uk

We would also recommend booking a 30-minute with us to review your finances and ensure you have everything you are entitled to.

In an appointment, we can go through your finances to ensure you have applied for everything you are entitled to. We can also see if you qualify for any additional financial assistance, including the ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund.

Our web pages have more information on all the financial support we can provide.

ºÚÁÏÍø Money Advice offer 15-minute Quick Query appointments, you can book these via .

Most high street banks offer overdrafts facilities on current accounts, however, they incur very high interest charges (much higher than a credit card!).

Student bank accounts are different and the overdraft is usually interest free. This means that you will not pay any interest if you use your arranged overdraft. This can be handy to have in case you encounter any funding delays or unexpected costs.

Overdrafts usually start at £500 and can increase to £1,500 or more, over the duration of your course.

also provides some good advice on choosing the right student bank account for you.

It is often easier to convert a current account you might already have, but you can also open a student account with a different bank. You can only have one student account and this is where your student funding should be paid into.

When you apply for a student bank account, the bank will require proof of (photo) identity, such as a passport or driving licence. They will also need to see proof of address, like a tenancy agreement, or check if they will accept a utility bill. They will require proof that you are a current student, you can download a bank letter from the 'My Locker' then 'My Documents' tiles within

Once you graduate you can convert your student account into a

There are a lot of recruitment agencies based in Leicester city centre. Do a Google search, visit them in person, or try the following links: , or .

recruitment agency is based within the Students’ Union building on campus and advertises part-time/ full-time work opportunities, both at ºÚÁÏÍø and within local businesses.

Our Careers Team also advertise job vacancies on MyGateway.

The recommendation is not to exceed working more than 15 hours a week alongside full-time undergraduate studies.

Information is available on the Scholarships and Bursaries that ºÚÁÏÍø offer.

ºÚÁÏÍø Money Advice administer the ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund (hardship fund) that aims to help with a contribution towards certain categories, e.g. high rent costs, high travel costs etc. Check the website to see if you are eligible to apply.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Transitions team are ºÚÁÏÍø's designated contacts for offering additional support, advice and information to care leavers, estranged students and student carers. They can also see if you qualify for any additional financial assistance.

Make sure that you have applied for, or are receiving, the additional funding for parents from your funding provider, for example, the and the for registered childcare.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund includes a Parent Bursary category and can also help with a contribution towards registered childcare costs.

Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) can offer additional funding to eligible students. DSA covers some of the extra costs you may have due to a physical or mental health condition.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund can also help with related costs associated with a health condition and help with living costs if you are unable to work some, or all, of the academic year.

Of course! Please book into one of our  via MyGateway. These half-hour slots enable the advisor to look at your income and expenditure and devise a bespoke budget plan with you.

Budgeting apps are really useful and there are lots of free ones to choose from.

We would recommend creating your own personal account with Blackbullion, which is free to use for all our ºÚÁÏÍø students. are on a mission to help students develop financial skills and confidence for life.

Blackbullion provides a great that you can download for free! Develop better spending and saving habits to grow your financial confidence.

You can book into one of our via MyGateway. These half-hour slots enable the advisor to look at your income and expenditure and devise a bespoke budget plan with you, as well as recommend various money-saving tips to help you further.

Websites like have lots of general tips on managing your budget, as well as how to save money, maximise your income and reduce your expenditure.

Start by reviewing your finances. Can you increase your income? Can you reduce your expenditure?

Ideas on how to increase your income:

• Are you receiving the maximum undergraduate Maintenance Loan that you are eligible for?
• Are there any other loans or benefits you could be entitled to?
• Can you apply to charities or trusts? can provide helpful information
• Could you work part-time? See our FAQ Where can I find part-time work?
• If you are working, check that your have been calculated correctly
• Have you got a student bank account with an interest-free overdraft facility? Certain banks allow you to increase the agreed limit each academic year
• Have you got any items that you can sell on sites like eBay or Vinted?
• Check if you are eligible to apply to the ºÚÁÏÍø Support Fund for possible help towards living costs

Ideas on how to reduce your expenditure:

• go through your subscriptions to see if you can cancel any of them, for example, TV/ Movie/ Music streaming services, gym membership etc
• are you using a lot of Ubers, could you cut back and use public transport instead?
• are you spending a lot on takeaways, food delivery services?
• have some great tips on ways to manage your spending
• book a Money Doctor appointment to see if we can help maximise your income and reduce your expenditure further

If you are worried about having no money, please book a 15-minute .