Coming to Brighton through Clearing? Here are your money questions answered…..

Congratulations on securing a place at Brighton. We look forward to welcoming you!

If you are applying for student finance through Student Finance England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Student Awards Agency Scotland, you do have some things to cross off your ‘to do’ list before you can enjoy the rest of the summer. Here are the answers to our frequently asked Clearing questions:

 

1. IS IT TOO LATE TO APPLY FOR STUDENT FUNDING?

No, but you need to act quickly as standard assessments take approximately 6 weeks to process. More complex applications take longer, especially if you have children. Term starts on Monday 23rd September so the clock is ticking. If you are planning to pay your tuition fees yourself (or through a sponsor or 3rd party) you need to make a formal arrangement to pay.

2.  HOW DO I APPLY FOR STUDENT FUNDING?

If you are a UK student, the safest, quickest and easiest way to apply is online through the main Student Finance portal – make sure you apply to the correct country you normally live in, not the country you’ll be studying in. There are links to Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

If you are from the EU, please check Student Finance England for EU students. You must download an application form because you cannot apply online. If you are from the EU but you have been living in the UK for longer than 5 years or you are in the UK as a migrant worker, please contact the Student Advice Service here at Brighton as you may be eligible for the same funding as a UK student.

3. I’VE ALREADY APPLIED FOR FUNDING BUT I NEED TO CHANGE MY COURSE/UNI DETAILS

If you are a UK student and you have already applied for funding, but for a different uni, you need to tell Student Finance. You can change your application very easily through your Student Finance online account. To do this you need your email address or customer reference number, password and secret answer (you may not remember these now, but you will in 3 years time!) You can reset your password if you have forgotten it.

Once you log in, choose the ‘change your application’ option and change your course and uni details. The UCAS code for Brighton is B72.

This can take up to 6 weeks to process, but keep checking your online account every 2 weeks to make sure the change of university has been registered.

If you are an EU student and you need to change your application, you must download and complete an EUCO1 form and send it in the post.

Again, this can take  6 weeks to process so keep checking your online account.

4. FIND OUT WHAT ELSE YOU’RE ENTITLED TO

Once you have been assessed for student finance there may be additional things you are entitled to depending on your personal and/or financial circumstances. Have a look at our University of Brighton Bursaries information and extra help from student finance which comes in the form of ‘supplementary grants’. Anything not called a loan does not need to be repaid.

5. WHERE CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT STUDENT BANK ACCOUNTS?

Many banks will let you open a student bank account before you actually start university, which is great as this can help you if you need to find some money to pay for accommodation or other upfront costs before you get here. We signpost students to Money Saving Expert and Save the Student for the most up to date impartial information about student bank accounts.

6. WHEN DO I GET MY FUNDING?

This is the million dollar question and we can’t give you a definitive answer I’m afraid.

If your application has been approved, your National Insurance number verified and you have enrolled online (after 22nd August) and in person (at the start of term), you should just have to wait 3-4 working days to get the first payment of Maintenance Loan. This is because we have to tell Student Finance England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland that you are here before the payments can be released to you. The instalments of Maintenance Loan will be paid to you direct into your chosen bank account.

The Tuition Fee Loan is paid direct to the university. This is also paid in 3 instalments, but later in the academic term.

7. I THINK MY FUNDING MIGHT BE LATE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Things usually run smoothly, but it is best to be prepared for a slight delay once you get to uni. You don’t want to miss out on fun activities and getting involved at the start of term. You should keep checking your online student finance account for any instructions – these will be listed on your home page or within correspondence listed under the tab called ‘Letters and emails’.

If you have got any questions about your funding entitlement or the application and assessment process, please contact the Student Advice Service on 01273 642888. We are ready and waiting for your call.

If you don’t change the name of the uni to which you’re going to the University of Brighton then your student funding could be significantly delayed – so make sure you change this information as soon as possible.

To look at our general information for  new students, we have a dedicated New Student area

To look at more advice about coming to uni through Clearing, we have a dedicated university Clearing section.

We look forward to meeting you next month 🙂

The Student Advice Service