Coronavirus, COVID-19 updates from Student Finance NI
We’re here to answer some of your common questions around the COVID-19 outbreak so you understand how it could affect you, whether you’re studying now or planning to go to uni or college later in the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for student finance?
Student finance applications for full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students for academic year 2020 to 2021 are now open. Apply now for student finance by creating or logging into your online account. More information on how to apply is available on our undergraduate section and postgraduate section.
Will my application be delayed?
Although these are extraordinary circumstances, we will process any applications that have been received as quickly as we can.
Can I still contact you if I need help?
We’re pleased to confirm that we have now began to operate a partial service in our contact centres following a temporary closure.
We only have a limited number of staff available and we are prioritising urgent enquiries so please do not call if you have a general enquiry.
What if I cannot post the evidence you’ve asked for because I’m self-isolating or unwell?
Don't worry about posting original evidence just now if you're not able to. Our priority is your safety and well-being, so please stay at home. If you send us evidence later than normal, we'll make sure you don't lose out on student finance because of this.
Your local Student Finance NI (SFNI) office will accept emails with financial evidence. Other types of evidence will not be accepted. You should include the following details in any email you send:
- Your full name
- Your Customer Reference Number
- Your date of birth
I cannot send new medical evidence from my GP because of COVID-19. Do I have to wait until I have new evidence to make my application for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)?
No. Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, we understand that you may not be able to get any new medical evidence or diagnostic assessment reports. You should send us any evidence you already have so we can check your eligibility for DSAs. If we need additional evidence, we will let you know.
Will I still get paid if I’m not studying on campus anymore or my school, college or university has closed?
Higher Education
We can confirm that students will receive their scheduled or next instalment of their Maintenance Loan at the planned start of their summer term, regardless of whether their university or provider has made alternative arrangements for teaching.
Further Education
You will still be paid EMA as long as your education provider continues to confirm your attendance to us. You should contact your education provider for more information.
If my academic year gets extended will student finance be extended to help me cover that?
If your current academic year gets extended, meaning if teaching is extended and your course lasts longer than 30 weeks and 3 days, we will assess you for a ‘Long Courses Loan’. However, if you finish your course later because of ongoing re-assessments, you won’t be able to get more student finance.
The Long Courses Loan is part of the Maintenance Loan so to be eligible, you must be getting the extra Maintenance Loan that depends on your household income.
Your university or college will have to tell us about this extension before we can assess you for the Long Courses Loan.
If you’re eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), you’ll receive DSAs support for any extensions given by your university or college.
Will I still get student finance next year if I have to repeat or extend my study?
Yes. We already have a process for handling this type of situation where students sometimes have to repeat a year for various reasons.
For any period of previous study you will still be able to get a Maintenance Loan.
A Tuition Fee Loan is available for the full length of your first course, plus one extra year if needed. If you don’t have enough years of funding left to cover your course fees, you may be able to get an extra year of support due to compelling personal reasons.
If you’re eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), you’ll receive DSAs support for the duration of your studies. DSAs are unaffected by previous study
I am still being charged for childcare although my children cannot attend. Will my Childcare Grant still cover this?
Don’t worry about sending us a CCG2 form just now if you’re not able to. Our priority is your health and well-being so stay at home. When we get your form later in the year we’ll finalise your payments then.
If you have been overpaid, we’ll reduce your 2020/21 grant entitlement by the overpayment amount. We understand this may cause you financial hardship. Should this happen, we will work with you at the time to find a more affordable way for you to pay back the overpayment.
I am a Migrant Worker and can no longer work. Will I lose my eligibility to student finance?
We are currently working with the government to answer this question and will update you as soon as we have clear guidance for you.
I am looking to apply as a Migrant Worker, how will the COVID-19 outbreak affect this?
We understand that you may be worried about qualifying as a migrant worker due to changes in your employment. We are working with the government to answer any questions you may have and will have an update soon.
If your employment hasn’t been affected, you should apply now for 2020 to 2021.
If your employment has been affected, you can apply now as an EU student to ensure your Tuition Fee Loan is in place. You can apply for migrant worker funding later, once we have clear guidance for you.
Will travel grant entitlement be affected for students that have to return early to the UK due to Coronavirus?
We are currently working with the government to answer this question and will update you as soon as we have clear guidance for you.
My parent/partner has recently lost their job. How will this affect my student finance?
Some student finance is based on your household income so we’ll need financial details from your parent(s) or partner to calculate how much funding you can get. However, we understand that financial circumstances can change and we have a process in place to help with that. This process makes sure you won’t lose out on any student finance you’re entitled to.
2020 to 2021 academic year
During the student finance application process your parent(s)/partner will be asked to provide financial details from a previous tax year. If they’ve lost their job and are not earning as much now as they did then, we can look at your application based on their ‘Current Year Income (CYI)’. But this can only be done after they’ve given us the details of the previous tax year. For more information, visit our parents and partners page.
2019 to 2020 academic year
If your student finance has already been calculated for 2019/20 using the CYI process, we may need to contact your parent(s) or partner for financial evidence for the 2019/20 tax year. In this case, we’ll get in touch with them in late 2020. If their income is different to what they estimated previously, your student finance will have to be recalculated.
I’ve had to come back from the UK before the end of my year abroad. I’m now doing alternative study, will I still get my student finance?
Yes. If you are continuing your studies remotely, your tuition fees and living costs will still be paid as planned.
Will joining the temporary paid early register whilst completing assignment affect my entitlement to student finance?
As an NHS or Healthcare student, your student finance entitlement will not change if you join the temporary paid early register. You will continue to receive your Maintenance Loan payments, and we will continue to make payments to your college/university for your tuition.
If my placement is delayed what impact will this have on my student finance?
If your current academic year gets extended, meaning your course lasts longer than 30 weeks and 3 days, we will assess you for what we call a ‘Long Courses Loan’.
The Long Courses Loan is part of the Maintenance Loan so to be eligible, you must be getting the extra Maintenance Loan that depends on your household income.
Your university or college will have to tell us about this extension before we can assess you for the Long Courses Loan.
I cannot complete my DSA1 form as my university or college is closed. What should I do?
When filling in the DSA1 form, you can leave Section 5 blank. You should ask your university or college to send us an email confirming the following details:
- Your full name
- Your customer reference number (if known)
- The academic year you’re applying for
- The name of your course
- Your course start date
- Your course end date
- Your year of study e.g. year 1 of 3
- Your level of study e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate
- Whether you’re in attendance of your course or studying as part of a distance learning course
- Whether you’re studying full-time or part-time
- If you’re studying part-time, the intensity of your course e.g. 50 % of the full-time equivalent
Your college or university should email the Disabled Students’ Allowances officer at your local Student Finance NI (SFNI) office.
I cannot get to a Study Needs Assessment Centre because of COVID-19. What should I do?
Needs Assessments can be done remotely if you cannot attend in person. The Assessment Centre will confirm in their report that your assessment was completed remotely.
If you prefer a face to face assessment, or the disability/condition you have cannot be assessed remotely, you should contact your Assessment Centre as soon as you can. They will give you further information about booking your Needs Assessment.
If your Needs Assessment is completed remotely or face to face, we will only process your application for Disabled Students’ Allowances once we receive the report from your Assessment Centre.
How is my non-medical helper support affected by COVID-19?
If the type of support offered by your non-medical helper is now remote, your Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) will still cover the cost of your non-medical helper. You should agree this with your non-medical helper provider.
We understand that you may not have been able to attend classes because they were cancelled by your university or college, and this could have impacted your non-medical helper support.
- If their support was cancelled with more than 24 hours’ notice, your non-medical helper will not be paid from your DSAs.
- If their support was cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, the cost of the first hour of your non-medical helper will be paid from your DSAs, in line with the current cancellation guidance.