How do I apply for a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England?

To enquire about applying for a loan from Student Finance England, call 0845 300 5090. You can also access information and apply online via the website.

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Who can get a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England?

To be able to access a fee loan (or a fee waiver) you need to be eligible for student finance. These criteria are set by the government and are based on your nationality or residency and if you have studied for a degree before. The full list of who qualifies for support is available via Student Finance England

If you have any questions about your eligibility for Student Finance or for a fee waiver, please contact us at ptfeewaivers@sheffield.ac.uk

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How do I apply for a fee waiver?

Firstly, we recommend that you read through the information on the following web-page, where you can find out whether or not you are eligible to apply for a fee waiver: http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/finance/ptmoney

To be eligible for a fee waiver you must have been assessed as eligible for a fee loan from Student Finance England (SFE) and be registered for 60 credits (or more). You can then submit either an online application or a paper application, which are both available on the web-page above. You will be asked to provide documentary evidence to support your application.

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Am I eligible for a fee waiver?

To be eligible for a fee waiver, you must have been assessed as eligible for a fee loan from Student Finance England (SFE) and be registered for 60 credits.

If you receive a fee waiver and the value of this is then determined by your household income. You can find out what fee waivers you are likely to receive by using our online fee waiver calculator. Provide us with a few details and the course you would like to study and we will show you what fees you will be charged each year and the fee waivers you are eligible for.

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When should I apply for my tuition fee loan?

Applications for a tuition fee loan can be made from February 2013 for courses starting in September 2013.

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When should I apply for my fee waiver?

We encourage students to apply as soon as they can, you do not need to wait for an offer of a place on your course AND you do not need to wait for a response from Student Finance England - this can take up to 10 weeks.

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What is counted as household income?

Your income, your partner’s income (if you are over 25 or not dependent on your parents for financial support), your parent’s income (if you are under 25 and financially dependent on them)

Examples of income:
Job seekers allowance and low income benefits, you can provide your benefits letter as evidence.
Any earned from paid employment, evidence of this via wages slips, P60, highlighting payments shown on bank statements.
Any money from unearned sources e.g. money from property you rent to others, income generated from savings or investments, pensions

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How do I provide evidence of my household Income?

To be assessed for a fee waiver you will need to provide evidence of household income, this includes your income, your partner’s income (if you are over 25 or not dependent on your parents for financial support), your parent’s income (if you are under 25 years old at the start of your course and you live with your parents).

To confirm your household please provide:
• a copy of your council tax letter

You can show total household income by providing any of the following:
• P60
• 3 months wage slips
• Benefits letter
• 3 months bank statements showing income

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What is the Student Finance notification letter?

When you have completed an application for a loan with Student Finance, they will send you a letter confirming whether or not you are eligible for a loan. This is your Student Finance notification letter.

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Do I have to send in all of my documents together?

No. After you have submitted your initial application, you can either post or bring your supporting documents to Financial Support Team, Ground Floor, Edgar Allen House, 241 Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2GW. Our office hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 4.30 pm. You can also scan your documents and email them as attachments to ptfeewaivers@sheffield.ac.uk . You can send in your documents together or individually if necessary.

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What if I live with my parents, are under 25 but am not financially dependent on them?

You can highlight payments you make to your parents on your bank statements and provide a statement from them of this arrangement.

We will then look at only you (and you partners) income

NB. If you are over 25 we will not look at your parents income regardless of circumstance

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What if I live with a housemate?

If you do not have a separate tenancy or mortgage agreement, you can highlight payments you make for your share of the rent and bills on your bank statements. We would expect the amounts to be regular payments and proportionate e.g. if there are 2 people in the household, you would pay half of the bills and rent.

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How do I show I am living as a single person?

Your council tax statement will show that you are the only adult living at that address and receiving 25% discount.
Your tenancy agreement/mortgage statement will only have one named adult.
If you have been married but are now separated, a copy of a solicitor’s letter confirming the separation is required.

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I am still waiting for confirmation from Student Finance about my loan. How long will this take?

Depending on the time of year, it can take up to 10 weeks for Student Finance England to process your application and send you confirmation. With this in mind, we are able to keep your registration pending until you have received a response from Student Finance. We encourage all students to apply for a loan as early as possible.

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Can you accept printed online bank statements?

Yes, we are able to accept printed online bank statements. Please ensure that your name and account number are visible.

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How will I be notified of the outcome of my fee waiver application?

You will be sent a email to the email address you provide on your fee waiver application, so please check this on a regular basis.

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How long will the fee waiver application process take?

It usually takes 10-15 working days from us receiving your application and full supporting documents (proof of income, council tax, 3 months bank statements., etc.). We are unable to confirm your fee waiver until we have all your documents.

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Do I have to do anything once I have provided all of my documents?

No, we will e-mail you with the outcome of your fee waivers assessment.

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Where can I go to get help with my application?

For help with your application for a fee waiver or for a loan with Student Finance, we recommend that you make an appointment with a Money Adviser at the Student Advice Centre. They can also contact Student Finance on your behalf if you have any queries regarding your assessment. The Advice Centre is currently based at 285 Glossop Road. You can call them to book an appointment on 0114 222 8660 or email advice@sheffield.ac.uk

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What other financial support is available from the University?

If you have dependents (not animals) there is the Access to Learning Fund which we pay to students as a contribution to your additional costs. If you provide your child benefit letter with your fee waiver application we will assess you for additional funds.

If you are facing additional travel costs to attend your course, we can assist with this too, however, these funds are very limited and generally only students who travel from outside Sheffield are eligible. For more information please contact the Financial Support Team on 0114 222 3994 or email financialhelp@sheffield.ac.uk

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