Education and learning

Submitting evidence to support a student finance application
When you apply for student finance, you’ll also need to send in some evidence – for example, to prove your identity. Depending on the type of finance you apply for, you and your parent(s) or partner may also need to submit some other evidence. Find out what to provide, why, and how to submit it below.
Why you have to submit evidence
Your application can’t be processed until you (and your parents or partner) send in all the evidence you’re asked for
Proving your identity
If you’re applying for student finance for the first time, you’ll need to submit evidence of your identity. Student Finance England uses this evidence to check whether you’re eligible for finance – and to make sure that loans and grants only go to genuine applicants.

Proving household income
If you apply for finance that takes your income into account ('means-tested' or 'income-assessed' finance), as a student you’ll be asked to estimate your income for the academic year. Student Finance England may ask you for evidence of this income at the end of the year.

If your parent(s) or partner are supporting your application for 'income-assessed' finance, they’ll need to submit evidence of your household income. For the academic year 2010/11, they should supply evidence for the 'prior tax year' 2008-09 (6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009).

Student Finance England use the 'prior tax year' as this will be the last completed tax year before the first date from which you could apply for student finance.

The evidence should match the amounts given on your application.

Student Finance England use this evidence about your household income to work out how much financial support you’ll get. To find out more, see ‘Applying for finance: income assessment for full-time students’.
Applying for finance: income assessment for full-time students

Which evidence items will you need to submit?
You’ll find out which types of evidence you need to supply when you complete your application – either online or on paper.

Or, to view a complete list of evidence items you can submit, follow the links below.

Evidence items that students submitEvidence items that parents and partners submitIf you are continuing your course
If you’re a continuing student, you will need to provide information each year you apply for finance, but won’t need to provide new evidence - unless your circumstances change.

Changes to your circumstances could include:

•changes to your marital status

•if you now have dependent children or are taking care of a dependent adult

•if you think your household income will be at least 15 per cent lower than in the previous year

•if one of your parents or your partner dies, leaves the family home or remarries
Student finance: if your course, income or family circumstances change

What to do with your evidence
If you apply online: full-time students
After you submit your application online, you’ll see an 'Evidence' screen. This allows you to select the evidence items you’ll send in.

The online application lets you print a 'cover letter' - this automatically lists all the evidence items you’ve selected.

Register, login and apply online for student financeIf you apply on paper: full-time and part-time students
If you apply on paper, you should include all your evidence at the same time you post your application form.

Student finance forms and guides 2010/11Where to send your evidence
If you’re a new student - or you started your course in 2009/10 or later - you should send all your evidence to Student Finance England along with your Customer Reference Number.

Send your evidence to:

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

If you started your course in 2008/09 or earlier, you should send your evidence either to your local authority or to Student Finance England - depending on where you live. See 'Contact your local authority (student finance applications)' to find out where you need to send your form.

Contact Student Finance EnglandContact your local authority (student finance applications) Opens new window
Evidence reminder email
You will be sent an email reminding you to send in evidence. These emails are automatically generated, so please ignore them if you’ve already sent in your evidence.
Full-time students: getting updates on your evidence online
Check what’s happening with your application and evidence by:

1.Logging in to your online account
2.Clicking on the academic year you applied for (for example ‘2010/11’) in the ‘My account’ screen
3.Clicking on ‘Evidence’ to get to the ‘Evidence’ screen
If you applied on paper, you’ll be sent a Customer Reference Number, password and secret answer that you can also use to access your details online.

The ‘Evidence’ screen is updated once your evidence has been processed by Student Finance England or your local authority.

Register, login and apply online for student financeGetting your evidence back
When Student Finance England get your evidence, they will sort, scan and match it to your application. Student Finance England will return your evidence to you once they have processed your application fully.

Please be aware that this can take up to four weeks during their busiest processing periods - typically between mid August and mid October.
Receiving your finance offer
You’ll also be sent a letter showing the amount of financial support you’ll receive within six weeks of submitting your application and evidence.