When will my maintenance loan arrive?
Please note this FAQ only refers to students who have applied for a loan via Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW), Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) & Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). US students please visit our US Loans FAQs
Your maintenance loan is linked to your registration being confirmed on your student loan application.
Registration is confirmed one week before the start of term for:
- New undergraduate students
- Postgraduate level funding
This is to ensure we have accurate and up‑to‑date student data before confirming to the SLC and to minimise incorrect loan releases as this will affect you directly as you will need to repay any incorrectly paid maintenance loans.
For returning undergraduate students we can confirm as soon as the application is available.
Maintenance loans are linked to your programme dates and are released in three equal instalments over the academic year. Please see your entitlement letter for exact dates.
Students will receive their first maintenance loan payment at the start of term if their registration is confirmed at least 5 days before the start date. If registration is confirmed later, the loan will arrive within 3–5 working days of registration. To avoid delays, complete Online Registration well before term starts, as UOB can only confirm registration once students are fully registered.