Joining us through Clearing?

Read our financial FAQs to get yourself ready

If you are joining Brighton through Clearing and you’re eligible to apply for Student Finance, you have some things to cross off your “to-do list” so you can getting excited for university.

Your financial to-do list before uni

Apply for your funding ASAP if you’re eligible

Make any necessary changes to your existing application
Open a student bank account with an interest-free overdraft (make sure you’re maintenance funding goes into this account, or you could lose access to the overdraft!)
Create a budget
Get in touch with the Student Money Advice Service if you have any questions or concerns

Read our Clearing financial FAQs which tell you everything you need to know about Student Finance and funding to help you complete your to-do list!

Student Money Advisory Team Student Money Advice Service

Email: studentadvice@brighton.ac.uk
Phone: 01273 64 2888

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Student Finance is government funding that you can apply for to help you study at university. You apply to the funding body for your country.

If you are a UK student, the easiest and quickest way to apply is online – make sure you apply to the country you normally live in, not necessarily the country you’ll be studying in.

Students from England apply to Student Finance England (SFE).

There’s a different process if you’re:
For example, students from England applying to SFE may be able to apply for:
- a Tuition Fee Loan to help pay the course tuition fees charged by your university or college
- a Maintenance Loan to help pay for things like rent, food, books, travel and other living costs
See more information online here: Student finance for undergraduates
No, but you need to act quickly.

Standard assessments take approximately 6-8 weeks to process but it can take longer in some cases. Term starts on Monday 28th September for most undergraduate courses, so the clock is ticking.

If you will be paying your tuition fees yourself, or through a sponsor, please contact the Income team on income@brighton.ac.uk about your payment options.
Yes - if you are studying Nursing, Midwifery or an Allied Health Profession, including Paramedic Science, you can claim additional funding from the NHS Learning Support Fund. 🩺

The full-time Training Grant for nursing and healthcare students is a £5K non-repayable grant, plus an additional £1k for certain subjects. There are further grants available if you are a parent. To receive the Training Grant, you must be eligible for both the Tuition Fee and Maintenance Loans from Student Finance. Once this is confirmed, you can apply for the extra grant through the NHS Learning Support Fund. You can also claim back some extra travel costs associated with your healthcare placements while you are a student.

Note: When you apply for your Student Finance loans, you will be asked whether you are eligible for an NHS bursary - SAY NO! The Training Grant is not a bursary.
If you are a UK student and you have already applied for funding, but for a different uni, you need to tell Student Finance. You can change your application very easily through your Student Finance online account before the start of the course.

If you have applied for funding through SFE, use the Student Finance England – ‘How to’ guide for help with making any changes. If you are unable to change this yourself, please contact the Student Money Advice Service.

Note: The UCAS code for Brighton is B72
Changes can take at least 6 weeks to process, but keep checking your online account every 2 weeks to make sure the change of university or any other changes has been registered.

You can follow the progress on your Student Finance online account. Your account will be regularly updated so we advise you to always look there first, check your outstanding actions and read any correspondence from them (emails, online letters, texts) before phoning their call centre.
You can check our website for eligibility information:
- University of Brighton Bursaries
- Your Brighton Boost 2026
You don’t need to apply for Brighton Boost or any of our bursaries. The university will determine whether you are eligible and contact you in the first term with more information.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit and/or PIP, please contact us in the Student Money Advice Service as there may be changes to your benefit entitlement once you become a student.

You must inform the DWP of your change of circumstances as soon as you start your course.

If you have a long term illness or disability and you could be considered to have a limited capability for work, we strongly advise you to apply for this urgently as you need this finalised before the start of your course in order to retain the maximum benefits available to you.
A student bank account is designed just for university students. Unlike standard current accounts, student bank accounts typically come with an interest-free overdraft. We encourage students to open one of these accounts if they’re eligible, as it they can be a handy financial buffer between loan payments if used responsibly.

Once you've opened a new student account, remember to enter new bank account details on your Student Finance portal. This is really important because a condition of the interest-free overdraft is that your maintenance loan is paid into the student bank account.

Many banks will let you open a student bank account before you actually start university, which is great as this can help you if you need to find some money to pay for accommodation or other upfront costs before you get here. Take a look at the Save the Student guide for a comparison on what different banks offer.

Save the Student: Best student bank accounts 2026.
It’s simple really, you just need to work out the following:
1. Your total income: Add up your Student Finance loan and any other income for the term.
2. Your fixed outgoings: Subtract your rent, estimated bills, and any other committed spending.
3. What’s left: Divide what’s left by the number of weeks until your next loan drop.
This is your weekly allowance. Stick to it and you'll avoid beans on toast for a month! You might not know all the details just yet, it will take some trial and error once you know more about your everyday costs while at uni. Review your budget regularly, if you get a job you can add that income into your budget later and increase your weekly disposable income.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to budgeting. Figure out what works for you: a spreadsheet, pen and paper, online budget builders, or banking app tools.

These are some guides and tools to check out:
- Money Saving Expert - Student Budgeting Planner
- Save The Student - Student Budget Calculators
You’ll receive the Maintenance Loan after your course starts (for most students this coincides with the term start date). You might receive it on the first day of your course, or it could take 3-4 working days. In order to receive your payment, your funding application needs to be approved, all actions completed, and your enrolment complete.

Please note that if you are switching your application to the University of Brighton and don’t update the university details on your Student Finance application before your course starts, your funding could be significantly delayed. So make sure you change this information as soon as you know you’re coming to Brighton.

Thereafter, further instalments are paid at the start of term 2 and 3 but you can check payment dates in your Student Finance portal.

Note: The University will automatically confirm your registration with Student Finance - please ignore the alert about this on your Student Finance portal.
Things usually run smoothly if you apply in good time and supply all supporting evidence, but it is always best to be prepared for a slight delay, especially if you have applied with less than 8 weeks before the start of your course.

Ideally you should come to university with enough money to pay for one month’s expenses, so try to save up before your course starts, and see if you can open a student bank account.
Realistically, most students need to top up their income, usually through a combination of savings, working part-time, and help from family. If you are able to work, a part-time job could really boost your budget. You can find information about finding part-time work through the Brighton Student Jobs Hub. You can also book an appointment with our Careers team for more help with this by registering on Careers Connect.

See you in September!

Your Student Money Advice Service