How to apply for a UK Student Loan as an EU student
In Scotland, EU students (from outside the UK) who started their course in or earlier qualify for home fee status.
If this is you, it means you don’t pay for your tuition fees at all, not even as a loan that needs to be repaid the full ?1,820 a year is covered by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for first degrees and PGDE courses. And, as long as you started your course before the academic year, this will remain the case for the entirety of your degree.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that you must have started your course in or earlier, and have been a resident of the UK for at least three years prior to the start of university, in order to be given financial support for living costs.
We know we’ve said it a few times, but it bears repeating: if you successfully apply for (pre-)settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll be able to apply for Student Finance in Scotland just the same as Scottish students can.
Bursaries and scholarships for EU students
If you’re worried about how you’re going to cover your living costs while studying in the UK, you might want to look into getting a bursary or scholarship.
Bursaries are monetary awards given to a student by an individual or institution to help them with their education. These are usually awarded based on individual circumstances like, for example, a student from a low-income background or someone studying a particular subject.
Scholarships are usually merit-based awards, which means they’re awarded to students who have achieved high grades and show the potential to succeed in a certain area.
Bursaries and scholarships can be offered by organisations, individual universities and even companies, so do some thorough research to see if there are any that you’re eligible for.
Our guide to bursaries and scholarships for international students is a great starting point, offering some guidance on where to look.
To apply for a UK Student Loan, EU students have to complete the relevant application form and send it off to the Student Loans Company by post before the deadline.
Not sure when your deadline is, or what forms you need to fill in? Contact the relevant Student Finance organisation for the part of the UK your prospective university is in.
We recommend applying for Student Finance as early as possible to receive the money before the course starts. But, you have up to nine months after the start of the academic year to apply, with starting dates grouped into payday loans Denton Montana bands as follows:
Check with your university if you’re unsure when your start date is, as it doesn’t always align with the start of the academic year.
Remember, though, that this only applies to EU students who started their course in the academic year or earlier or EU nationals with (pre-)settled status.
What you need to apply for a UK Student Loan
The exact evidence you need to provide will vary depending on the form you need to complete pay close attention to the small print to make sure you’re sending off the correct evidence, as any mistakes can cause serious delays in your application.
Application forms can take a while to process and there’s no set guidance on exactly how long it can take, but if you haven’t heard anything in a month, it’s worth calling them up to make sure they’ve received your form.
If your income or family situation changes, or if you change courses or universities, you will need to let Student Finance know this information as soon as possible so they can make any necessary changes to your loan eligibility.