GovWire

Eligibility

To apply for student finance as a migrant worker, you must be:

• an EEA or Swiss national, and have lived in the EEA or Switzerland for at least 3 years before the start of your course
• living in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• planning to study a course that qualifies for student finance
• working or self-employed in the UK
• working enough to reasonably support yourself throughout your studies

Whats available?

If youre studying a full-time undergraduate course

You can get aTuition Fee Loan of up to 9,250 to cover the fees charged by your university or college, and a Maintenance Loan to help with living costs, such as rent and books.

Theres also extra help if you have adisability, or if you havechildren or an adult who depends on you financially.

If youre studying a part-time undergraduate course

If youre starting a part-time course on or after 1 August 2018, you can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to 6,935 to cover the fees charged by your university or college. You can also get a Maintenance Loanto help with living costs, such as rent and books.

Theres also extra help if you have a disability.

If youre studying a postgraduate course

If youre studying a postgraduate Masters course, you can get a loanof up to 12,471 as a contribution towards your course and living costs.

If youre studying a postgraduate Doctoral course, you can get aloanof up to 29,390 as a contribution towards your course and living costs.

Theres also extra help if you have a disability.

How to apply

Applying as a migrant worker for the first time

If this is the first time youve applied for student finance as a migrant worker, you shouldapply on a PN1 form.

Along with your application, youll need to send Student Finance Englandyour original passport or National Identity Card. Youll also need to send evidence to show that youre working in the UK.

If youre employed

Send a copy of allof the following:

• payslips covering the last 3 months

• your employment contract, which must:

  • be signed and dated by your manager or by your employers HR staff
  • show your employment start date
  • show your contracted hours per week

If youre self employed

Send acopy of all of the following:

• your invoices or accounts for the last 3 months
• your bank statements for the last 3 months
• your latest tax return

If youre an agency worker

Send a copy of allof the following:

• payslips covering the last 3 months

• your employment contract, which must:

  • be signed and dated by your manager or by your employers HR staff
  • show your employment start date
  • show your contracted hours per week

Your contract of employment or letter from your employer may refer to first date of assignment instead of date of employment.

If youre the director of a company

Send a copy of allof the following:

• payslips covering the last 3 months

• your employment contract, which must:

  • be signed and dated by your manager or by your employers HR staff
  • show your employment start date
  • show your contracted hours per week

Youll be treated as employed if youre paid a salary from your company.

If youre on a zero-hours contract

Send a copy of allof the following:

• payslips covering the last 3 months

• your employment contract, which must:

  • be signed and dated by your manager or by your employers HR staff
  • show your employment start date
  • show your contracted hours per week

Student Finance England may also request additional payslips to check consistency.

Upload your evidence with a signed and dated cover letter explaining your situation, this will help to ensure you continue to get your funding.Find out how to upload your evidence.

Applying to continue receiving student finance as a migrant worker

If youve previously had student finance as a migrant worker on your current course, you shouldapply online.

If you have lost your job

If youre no longer working, you need to provide evidence showing youre looking for work which means youll still be eligible for student finance.

You can send:

• letters from the Jobcentre Plus to prove youre looking for work
• a copy of your P45 from your last employer
• a copy of your official letter confirming if you were made redundant

If you have changed your job

Change of employer

Dont worry if you have a new employer this will not affect your migrant worker status. You just need to provide the following evidence:

• copies of all your payslips from your new employer
• a copy of your signed contract of employment or a letter from your new employer confirming your employment start date
• a copy of your P45 from your previous employer or a letter from your previous employer confirming your employment end date

Changing to self-employed

If youre changing your employment status to self-employed you just need to provide the following evidence:

• a copy of your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) letter showing that youre registered as self-employed with HMRC
• copies of your most recent invoices and corresponding bank statements
• any evidence of business expenditure (if available)
• a copy of your P45 from your previous employer or a letter from your previous employer confirming your employment end date

If youre changing from self-employed to employed

If youre changing your employment status from self-employed to employed, you just need to provide the following evidence:

• copies of all your payslips from your new employer
• a copy of your signed contract of employment or a letter from your new employer confirming your employment start date

If your residency status has changed

If you made an application as a migrant worker with pre-settled status and youve now been granted settled status you could be eligible for tuition fee and living cost funding without having to prove youre working during your studies. The evidence you need to provide is dependent on when your status changed.

If youve been granted settled status before the start of your academic year you just need to provide the following evidence:

• proof of settled status from EU settlement scheme
• a cover letter from you, telling us about your new residency status and that you would like to be assessed as a home student now

If youve been granted settled status during your course, then you need to provide the following evidence:

• proof of settled status from EU settlement scheme
• a cover letter from you, telling us about your new residency status and that you would like to be assesse
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