Chris Larmer, SLC Executive Director, Operations advises students to get ready to apply for student finance:
In the coming weeks, the student finance application service for the 22/23 academic year will open for new and returning full time, undergraduate students in England and Wales.
Last year, we enabled more students than ever before to invest in their futures through access to higher education and we are anticipating another busy year ahead. For new students in particular, there is a lot to think about. Many will have recently completed their UCAS applications and will undoubtedly be excited, if a bit apprehensive, about what the future holds.
We want to encourage all new students to get the best possible start to their higher education journey by ensuring their student finance is in place when term starts. To support them with this, we have launched new online resources for students in England and Wales to help them prepare for when the application service opens.
New students can also sign up to our Student Finance England (SFE) and Student Finance Wales (SFW) mailing lists to be among the first to know when they application service opens. It’s important to remember that students don’t have to have a confirmed place at university or college to apply for student finance, they can apply when the service opens using their preferred choice and update their application later if circumstances change.
Returning students should remember that they have to reapply for their student finance each academic year and we will be in touch with them when it is time to do so.
We continue to strive to deliver an outstanding customer experience, offering access to intuitive, trusted and supportive service at all stages of a student’s finance journey. To help prepare for the application window opening, I have provided some top tips to help make the process as smooth as possible.