Guidance for students going through Clearing
Whether you go through Clearing after getting your exam results or you鈥檝e not yet applied for university or college, you need to make sure your student finance is sorted.
Applies to England
If you鈥檝e not applied for student finance yet
If you鈥檙e thinking of going to uni or college this year, you should apply for student finance as soon as possible. It鈥檚 easy to apply and only takes around 30 minutes. Just use your first choice of course, you can change your application later if you need to.
If you apply late your money might be late. Find out more about applying late.
If you鈥檙e applying for a higher amount of student finance that鈥檚 based on your household income, make sure to ask your parents or partner to provide their financial information as soon as possible to avoid delays to your application.
Your funding
Once you submit your application, we may award you the minimum amount of Maintenance Loan while we process your household income details. This is to make sure you get some money for the start of your course.
Once we鈥檝e processed your household income details you鈥檒l get the rest of your money as soon as possible after your course starts
Find out the minimum amount of Maintenance Loan:
| Living location | Minimum amount of Maintenance Loan | Maximum amount of Maintenance Loan* |
|---|---|---|
| Living with parents | 拢3,790 | 拢8,610 |
| Not living with parents and studying outside London | 拢4,767 | 拢10,227 |
| Not living with parents and studying in London | 拢6,647 | 拢13,348 |
| You spend a year of a UK course studying abroad | 拢5,662 | 拢11,713 |
*Maximum amount of Maintenance Loan is based on the household income
Use our student finance calculator to find out how much you could be entitled to for the 2024 to 2025 academic year. There are different rates if you spend a year of a UK course studying abroad.
When will I get paid?
To pay your Maintenance Loan, we鈥檒l need:
- confirmation of registration from your university or college
- your National Insurance number
- valid UK bank details
Your Maintenance Loan will be paid in 3 instalments, one at the start of each term.
Example
Olivia is studying at Newcastle University and living in student accommodation. She applied too late for her student finance to be based on her household income before the start of her course. She鈥檚 been awarded the minimum Maintenance Loan of 拢4,767, which means her first payment of 33% is 拢1,573.
6 weeks after Olivia applied, her household income details were processed. Now she qualifies for an additional Maintenance Loan of 拢3,000. We will pay Olivia the difference of 拢1,000 which was missed from her first payment. Her second payment will now be 拢2,573 and third payment will be 拢2,621 to reflect her new entitlement.
If you鈥檝e already applied for student finance
You won鈥檛 need to do anything unless your living location, university, college or course details change.
If your university, college or course changes
If you accept a place at university or college through Clearing, you鈥檒l need to sign in to your student finance account and let us know of any changes. You must do this even if your UCAS application has changed - your student finance application is not linked to UCAS.
Sign in to change your applicaiton
You鈥檒l need to change the university or college on the application as well as your course. You should also tell us the correct tuition fee being charged for your new course. For step by step guidance on how to change your application online check out our 鈥榟ow to鈥� guide.
If your living situation changes
It鈥檚 important that you update where you鈥檒l be living on your application if it changes, otherwise you might not get the right amount of Maintenance Loan.
You can update your living location through your online account. You鈥檒l be asked to confirm where you will spend most of your time during the academic year under the 鈥榗hange your university/college and course鈥� section.
Check out our tutorial for guidance on how to make changes to your application.
Example
Toby applied for student finance to go to his first choice, Manchester University, which meant he would have to move away from home and live in student accommodation. Based on his course and living location he was awarded the maximum Maintenance Loan of 拢10,227.
On A-level results day Toby did not get the grades he expected and was offered a place at Birmingham University through Clearing, this means Toby will be able to live at home with his parents while he studies.
While Toby updated his university and course details online, he also told us about the change to his living location. After 6 weeks, we reassessed his entitlement and he now qualifies for the maximum Maintenance Loan of 拢8,610 for living at home.
Making changes to your application
Check out our walk-through film to find out how easy it is to update your student finance application online.
For full-time students, sign in to your online account and follow these easy steps:
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Click 鈥楿ndergraduate student finance applications鈥�
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Select the application you wish to change
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Under the heading 鈥楳anage your student finance鈥�, click 鈥榁iew and manage your applications鈥�
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Click 鈥楥hange your application鈥� and then click again
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Click 鈥楿niversity/college and course鈥�
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Click 鈥楽ubmit鈥� once you鈥檝e entered and confirmed your changes
If you鈥檙e unable to make the changes online, you can upload a completed CO1 Form to your online account and we can make these changes for you.
Find more guidance on how to change your application for part-time and tuition fee only funding students.
It can take 6 to 8 weeks to approve any new applications or changes to existing applications. It鈥檚 important to apply or make changes as soon as possible.
After you鈥檝e updated your application
We鈥檒l review your application and let you know if there鈥檚 any change to the amount of student finance you鈥檒l be paid.
If your application is based on your household income, make sure your parents or partner give us their income details as soon as possible. Don鈥檛 forget, you could also get more student finance if your household income has dropped.
If you鈥檝e been awarded the minimum amount of Maintenance Loan to begin with, once your household income has been reviewed, we鈥檒l pay any money owed to you from the start of the course. Payments usually take 3 to 5 working days after your account is updated - you don鈥檛 need to wait till your next payment date.
If you鈥檙e a parent or partner of someone who鈥檚 applying for student finance
You鈥檒l need to support their application with details of your household income so they can get as much student finance as possible. Visit our guide for more information on how to support an application.
Keep up to date
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Updates to this page
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Updates have been made for the 2024/25 academic year
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Information updated for 2023 academic year.
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If your living situation changes - added information on where and how to make this change online.
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Added "How to change your student finance application" film
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Updated academic years and figures to match
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Updated change of circumstances film to updated 2021 version.
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Published updated guidance for students going through Clearing in academic year 2021 to 2022. Includes new Maintenance Loan amounts and guidance on how to change an application and what this means for a student's entitlement.
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First published.