Throughout this blog, we are going to answer some of the most frequenlty asked questions we get at the start of term in regards to Student Finance and how you can get in contact with us.
I haven’t received my Student Maintenance Loan, what can I do?
If you have been assessed for your funding by Student Finance England (or your regional funding provider) and have recently enrolled, it could be that the University has only just confirmed your attendance. This usually triggers your loan payment, however it can still take up to 5 days for any money to reach your account.
If you have enrolled, but you haven’t yet been assessed by Student Finance England (or your regional funding provider), then we would encourage you to call them or check your online account for an update on your application. You may need to provide further information to support your application.
- Contact Student Finance England (SFE):
For general information and to apply visit: www.gov.uk/student-finance
Telephone: 0300 100 0607
Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 4pm
- Contact Student Finance Services (EU students):
Telephone: 0141 243 3570
Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
I’ve only recently applied for student finance, how long will it take to be assessed?
Applications usually take approximately 6 – 8 weeks, however, the start of term is a very busy time for processing applications and additional information. We would encourage you to check your online account for updates and call SFE (or your regional funding provider) if you have queries.
Can I apply for any short-term loan until my student finance comes through?
Students can apply for a short-term Bridging Loan of up to £500 (eligibility criteria apply). For further details and to apply online, click the button below.
I’m not sure I have been assessed correctly for my Maintenance Loan, how can I check?
f you’re worried and want to check if you’ve been assessed correctly for your funding, please use the Student Finance calculator to estimate the level of loan available as well as any extra student funding, for example if you have a disability or children. Please note this calculator is for students from England and EU students starting a new undergraduate course in 2021/22.
Can the Financial Guidance Team contact Student Finance England (SFE) on my behalf?
Yes. We would however encourage students to call SFE initially as this may resolve your query quickly. If you still require help and would like the team to contact SFE, you will need to set up a ‘consent to share’ to give permission. This allows the Financial Guidance team (or other Student Services team) to contact SFE (or your regional funding provider) to discuss your application on your behalf.
To arrange this, please call SFE on 0300 100 06 07 and advise them that you would like to set up a ‘consent to share’ for the University of Northampton – they will usually ask for the institution name, as well as our relationship to you, which is ‘Higher Education Provider’ or HEP. They may also ask for the postcode of the University (NN1 5PH).
You will then be asked for a password, which the Financial Guidance team will need to know to access your account – please contact us afterwards with this password.
Is there additional support available from SFE for those with dependents or disabilities?
Yes. SFE have additional support available for those with children or dependent adults as well as support for those with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), eligibility criteria apply. Please see a summary below:
- Parents Learning Allowance - up to £1,821 a year depending on your household income.
- Childcare Grant - up to 85% of weekly childcare costs (up to a maximum of £179.62 per week for one child or £307.95 per week for more than one child).
- Adult Dependents’ Grant – up to £3,190 a year depending on household income.
- Disabled Students Allowance
For further information, visit the following Student Finance pages: Extra Help or Quick Start Guides
I’m studying a health professional course and I’ve heard about an additional training grant from the NHS, what is this and where can I find out more?
Students who are studying on certain pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate health professional courses such as nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, podiatry, physiotherapy or paramedic science may be eligible for additional financial assistance from the NHS Learner Support Fund (eligibility criteria apply). Students may apply for this support in addition to the funding available from Student Finance England.
For further details and to apply, click here.
Useful contacts
Financial Guidance Team: 01604 893299 money@northampton.ac.uk
Fee queries (Income Team): 01604 892327 income@northampton.ac.uk
Scholarships Administrator: Scholarships@northampton.ac.uk
If you need to contact the Financial Guidance Team to discuss your funding query, we would encourage you to call or email initially. If necessary, we can arrange a follow-up appointment.
Come and see us!
The Financial Guidance Team, will be running drop in sessions on the ground floor of the learning hub between 10am and 2pm from Monday 4th October through until Tuesday 12th October. Feel free to come and see us with any questions or queries that you have surrounding your Student Finance.