How can you find out if you're an "independent student"

[PerfectRun]

For student finance?

DS has worked full time on a fairly decent salary for his age and paid keep at home for 3 years. He's now decided University is for him after all and needs to apply for student finance. The guidance says if you've "supported yourself" for 3 years you're an independent student, but it isn't clear what supporting yourself means.

It will make a big difference to what he's entitled to of it's based on household income or his own income. He hasn't cost me anything as such for 3 years and he has contributed financially to runnign the house, but obviously that's not quite the same as being completely independent.

He's 19yo, so doesn't qualify on age.

Just so you are aware, new student applications made after 20th May aren’t guaranteed to have their finance in place for the start of term.

It's been that way for centuries. This is nothing new at all. At least all students are now entitled to the basic loan which wasn't the case when I went.

He'll be fine for a while. He has some savings,

But what about his tuition loan? Proof of financing is usually required at registration. Unless he doesn't need a tuition loan?

Well I don't know, but the university know when they made the offer.

hat they have earned enough to support themselves during the period in question. A person in living in the parental home may not wholly have supported themselves, including paying their share of housing costs, especially where the person is in PT or temporary employment. A student living with their parents should only be regarded as self-supporting where they can clearly demonstrate that they have contributed appropriately to the household budget.

This only says that a person living in the family home MAY not have wholly supported themselves - and gives instances when this would apply . It doesn't say that no student living in their family home can qualify as independent .

Based on the guidance that has been shown on this thread I would suggest that he puts in an application based on this - they can either accept or turn it down .

Are people completely missing the fact that this young man has been working in a full time job for the last 3 years? And studying part time as well. It's not that he's been at 6th form college with 10 hours at McDonalds. Well done to him - I hope he does qualify .

Yes I gathered but hell still need his fee loan paid. So he hasn’t got time to make student loan enquiries before he applies, and he doesn’t need to. Just tell him to get the application in. They’ll decide which rules he falls under.

@titchy

I know it has. Doesn't make it right.

That won’t help with the fees loan issue. So, unless he has enough savings to pay £9k+ for a years fees and enough ti subsist, he needs to hurry.

Sorry, add your own punctuation. My autocorrect is taking it all back out.😬

When I initially posted on this thread I thought the OP’s DS would be able to demonstrate he should be classed as an independent student and had wholly supported himself. Hence providing the links to support this. But then the OP said he had only been contributing £50pw and I don’t see how that can be classed as having contributed appropriately to the household budget and wholly supporting himself.

My son applied for this. He had to show that he took home at least £3000 a year for 3 years.

Unis won't worry about the fees - as long as he can demonstrate that his SFE application is in hand they're happy to wait.

If they want him to take up the place, which they do, they'll have to wait, but I'll get him to email the lesson he's been dealing with to explain that he might not be able to pay at the outset.

You'd probably tell me it's impossible for him to have got in the route he has too .

£3k?! Was he successful?

The thing is, OP doesn’t think there is any urgency about applying now. Her DS is determined to speak to someone at student finance (in their busiest month) before applying. Most applicants applied three months ago. I think some of us are just urging he not delay longer.

Most universities are quite relaxed for the first half term, but not indefinitely.

? I know he needs to make the application, that's why we've both spent all day trying to find out which application to make. It's hardly his fault the University offered in the busiest month or that their guidance is vague with their "reasonable"

I’m trying to help.

Non standard entry is great. It’s fabulous that RG unis are doing it. I’m delighted for your DS. He has done really well

I posted the official guidance to encourage him to claim independent status with P60s.

However I’m trying to warn you that delaying his student finance application any longer might cause unnecessary stress down the line.

At registration, they will look on the system to make sure finances are in order before enrolling him, and issuing him a card. After reading week they will start to chase up unpaid fees.

The sooner he applies the more smoothly this will go.

Their guidance can’t give a specific amount a student needs to earn to be considered independent because everyone’s expenses and circumstances are different. The amount needed for one student to wholly support themselves will be different to what is needed for another student.

OK, thank you and we will definitely put it in this week, but surely applying under the wrong status will delay things?

Honestly unis WILL wait. We are quite used to SFE paying us even as late as the summer term or a year later. It's not a biggie. In any case his fee assessment will be very straightforward.

In reality SFE are usually fairly quick - but agree that this is an unusual case and it will take a while for his maintenance to be assessed.

@PowerPack Semi successful. Got full student loan and offered £3.5 maintenance

He's decided to defer for 2 more years until he turns 25

No it’s the same application regardless. The bit about independent status is just one question amongst many.

So for the basic maintenance loan everyone is entitled to - sorry that means he was unsuccessful! There's no 'semi successful' - they either agree you're independent or they don't.

From the standalone guide

If you have supported yourself financially for a total of thirty six months prior to the start of your course, you can apply to be assessed as an independent student on the grounds of self-support. These months do not have to be consecutive, but you must show you have been earning a sufficient amount to be financially independent.
So he can assessed as an independent student but it will be difficult to show that he could live independently when only contributing £50pw - a you g person living outside of the family home would be paying out a lot more.

BTW - SF will not give you a definitive answer because every circumstance is different.

Out of interest why are you looking to pursue this route?