This information explains about SFE funding entitlements for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who are coming to the UK to study or who already live here and are starting a course in September 2023. It also applies to some family members, for example children and spouses. Please also read our general information for EU students.

The UK Government confirmed that EU students who are continuing a course that started prior to September 2021 will remain eligible for home fee status and for SFE financial support even if the course ends after 31 December 2020.

If you are an EU/EEA national and you have pre-settled status or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may qualify for student finance if you are starting a course in September 2023. The type of support you will receive will be dependent on how long you have lived in the UK or EEA, and/or whether you or a family member have been working in the UK.

For the latest information on which EU/EEA nationals may qualify for Student Finance in September 2023, please read up to date information on the GOV.UK and UKCISA websites.

EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme

If you are an international student and you have been accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2023 on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.

Paying the Home/UK rate of tuition

There are a number of ways to qualify for home fee status.

One of the ways you can qualify is if you are an EU/EEA or Swiss national who holds pre settled or settled status and you have been resident in either the UK, Gibraltar, the EEA or Switzerland, for the three consecutive years, immediately before the first day of the first academic year of your course. (1st of September or 1st January).

Your tuition fee status will be assessed by the Admissions Office once you have a course offer. Should you have questions about your fee status before this or, if you are assessed to pay the overseas rate of tuition fee but believe you should be a home fee payer, you should contact Admissions and request a fee assessment or contact Student Advice to discuss your eligibility.

The eligibility rules for home fee status are complex, and there are many other ways that you can qualify for home fees. To find out more,  please see fee status information on the UKCISA website.

Student Finance England Funding

EU nationals and some EEA and Swiss nationals may be eligible for Student Finance England (SFE) funding.

Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the rules around who can qualify for Student Finance have become more complex. The information provided below contains some examples of the ways you can qualify for Student Finance. It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there may be other ways you can qualify for Student Finance, so checking your circumstances with Student Finance England is important.

Relevant family members of EU/EEA and Swiss nationals may also be eligible for SFE funding. We do not cover information about family members here as the rules are complex.

Student Finance England (SFE) provides funding for full-time undergraduate degree courses, part-time undergraduate degree courses and postgraduate degree courses.

If you usually live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and the main purpose of moving to England is to study, you may not be entitled to funding from SFE and you will have to apply to one of the following instead:

Contact Student Advice to discuss your circumstances.

Note: Previous study - even if you meet the general eligibility rules to qualify for SFE funding, previous study on any earlier degree level course and/or equivalent levels qualifications that you already hold will affect entitlement to receive SFE funding for a new course. It does not matter if you studied or obtained the qualification in another country. Please see our previous studies page for further details.

Applying for a Tuition Fee Loan only

EU nationals who hold pre settled or settled status and are ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA or Switzerland for the three consecutive years immediately before the first day of the first academic year of their course (1st September or 1st January) can apply for:

  • A (SFE) EU Tuition Fee Loan for undergraduate study (for full-time or part-time courses). No other SFE loans or grants are available to help with living costs, children, adult dependents or disability
  • A SFE Postgraduate Master's Loan is available for postgraduate degree courses (full-time or part-time). This can be used to pay tuition fees and/or living costs. It is paid directly to you. No other SFE loans or grants are available to help with living costs, children, adult dependents or disability

If you are or will be attending a full-time undergraduate degree course, it’s always worth checking if you meet any additional eligibility rules to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan AND additional maintenance loans and grants to help with your living/study costs or disability needs, especially if you hold settled status and you have not lived outside the UK.

You should only apply if you believe you have checked that you meet the additional, more complex eligibility rules. See section below which details some of the more complex rules, please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Contact Student Advice for help if you are unsure of your SFE eligibility if you encounter problems with your application or you are refused funding.

How to apply:

  • Undergraduate students: To apply for the EU Tuition Fee Loan only for a full or part-time undergraduate course, you must complete a paper application form. For full-time study, apply using the EU22N form, part-time students apply using the EUPTL1 form. Do not apply online. You can find the forms on the SFE form finder
  • Postgraduate students: Applications can be made online on Gov.uk

Applying for Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance loan and other grants

Instead of applying for a Tuition Fee Loan only (see above) you may be eligible to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and other additional maintenance loans and grants for living and other study costs:

  • For undergraduate degree courses SFE provide a Tuition Fee Loan, a Maintenance Loan for living/studying costs and if relevant, additional grants for dependent children, adult dependants and a Disabled Students Allowance
  • For part-time undergraduate degree courses, SFE provides a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan but there are no grants for dependant adults and children. If relevant, a Disabled Student Allowance is available
  • For some postgraduate level courses SFE provides a Postgraduate Master's Loan and, if relevant, a Disabled Students Allowance

Students in receipt of a Postgraduate Loan/Maintenance loan and additional grants may also apply to the University LESS fund.

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss national resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course (1st September or 1st January) you may be eligible to apply for the additional support if:

  • You are an EU/EEA or Swiss national who holds Settled Status and has been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for three years leading up to and including the first day of the first academic year of your course, (1st September or 1st January) There must be no gaps in the evidence provided or the application could be refused
  • SFE accept that you are an EEA migrant worker, working in the UK and you continue to work in the UK throughout the course. Students who don’t work themselves but are relevant family members of EEA migrant workers may also be eligible. This is explained in more detail below.

There may be other ways you can qualify for Student Finance other than what we have listed above, UKCISA provide a full explanation of the SFE eligibility rules and all the ways to qualify for SFE funding, and information should be updated on UKCISA for September 2023 shortly.

Applying as either an EU, EEA Migrant Worker

If you work in the UK, you may also be eligible for funding under the migrant worker rules.

To be considered as a Migrant Worker you must be:

  • An EU, EEA national or Swiss national who holds pre settled or settled status (or a relevant family member)
  • Resident in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You must have evidence that you were resident in the UK on and before this date, and
  • Have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, EEA and Switzerland for at least three consecutive years by this date

and,

  • You or your relevant family member must be working in the UK and continue to work in the UK throughout your course. SFE will ask for evidence of your employment in September and will request evidence of your continued work at the start of each term. They will base their decision on your earnings and your employment. If they believe your earnings are too low, they will not accept that you are a genuine migrant worker and will refuse your application

You can also apply as a migrant worker if you start working during your course, but you may not be eligible for the full amount of loan and/or grants.

There are also special rules for migrant workers who have been made redundant or have been working in an area related to their course but had to give this up in order to study.

How to apply for funding

  • Undergraduate students: If this is your first SFE application, you can choose to apply online or use the paper application for home students called a PN1. Find this by using the Student Finance England Form finder. If you already receive the Tuition Fee Loan only, you may not be able to apply online and you must apply using the paper application form for home students instead PN1 form. There are additional forms to complete if you are applying for the Childcare Grant and/or the Disabled Students Allowance
  • Postgraduate students: Applications can be made online on Gov.uk or on paper. Find forms by using the Student Finance England Form finder. There is one application process, but an additional form has to be submitted if you are applying for the Disabled Students Allowance