Support your child or partner online

If the student you’re supporting applies for finance online, you can supply your financial information online too.

The following is a guide to providing your income details online in support of a student's application. Information is also available for new students and continuing students applying online.

You only need an 'Alias ID' to support a student who applied online before 8 April 2010.

If the student applied before 8 April 2010

If you support a student who applied online before 8 April 2010, you will need to use an ‘Alias ID’ to support their application. You will have been sent a letter or email with the Alias ID after the student applied.

If you’re not sure what the Alias ID is, ask the student to log in to their online account and they will be able to find out.

If you’re supporting more than one student, you will need a separate Alias ID for each student.

Supporting a student who applies now

If you are supporting a student who applies from April 2010, you can enter your financial details at the same time as them. You don’t need to use an ‘Alias ID’.

The student should register, log in and apply. The online service will give them three options about how you will provide your financial details:

• online - in the same application as the student
• online - after the student completes their application
• using a paper form

If you support the student in the same application, they don’t need to log out of the online service. You can enter your financial information in the same ‘session’ - although you’ll be given your own customer reference number.

If the student chooses to complete their application first, they will be asked to provide your name and email address. You’ll be sent an email with your own login details. You can then log in to your own account and enter your financial information for the student’s application.

Whichever online option the student chooses, once you’ve submitted your details you can log back in and check the progress of the student’s application - or check on any evidence you need to send in.

Logging in to your own online account

You can enter your financial information at the same time as the student, or by logging in to your own account.

Password and Secret Answer

When you first log in you will be prompted to choose a Password and a Secret Answer. You will need to use these when you access the Student Finance ni online services or contact us. It is important that you set these security details to something you are likely to remember.

Customer Reference Number

After you have registered you will be given an Customer Reference Number. This is a unique eleven-digit number that is used to identify you when you login to our website or contact us. It is also printed on all correspondence we send you. It is important that you make a note of your Customer Reference Number and keep it in a safe place.

If you forget your security details

If you forget your Password and Secret Answer, or misplace your Customer Reference Number, you can request these online from the Forgotten your Details link. When you reset your passwords these will be sent to your email address.

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Supporting an application

Once you have logged in, select the link 'Support an Application'. This will start your application so that you can provide the details we need in order to ensure that the student you are supporting receives their full entitlement to student finance.

If the student applied before 9 April 2010 you will need to enter the student’s ALIAS ID. This is a unique identifier that will help us to link your details with the student. This information will be posted or emailed to you after the student has submitted their application, and is also available in the student’s online account.

If you have provided your details for a student in a previous year you will not need to enter the student’s ALIAS ID as your details will already be linked to the student.

If you need to provide your details for more than one student, you can do this by adding all of the students to your application – you will only need to enter your details once in any academic year.

Enter details of your income, expenses, and any other dependants in your household.

You can exit the application at any stage before you submit it, and the information in each completed section will be saved. You can review or change the information you have entered up until you submit your application. Once you have submitted your application it will be automatically sent to your Education and Library Board to be processed.

The student you are supporting will be notified in writing of their entitlement to financial support. This letter will also detail any financial contribution you may be expected to make.

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Send in your evidence

To confirm the information you have provided you will be required to send evidence to your ELB. When you have submitted your details you will be shown the types of evidence that are required and the address to send this evidence to.

It is important that you provide this evidence, otherwise the student may not receive their full entitlement to student finance. You can use your online account to track the evidence you send.

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Use your account

From your account you can update your contact details, view correspondence, and ask or search for the answer to your questions about student finance.

You can even return to your account in the future if the student starts a different course.

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