You must apply for a loan for each academic year of study. You can apply for a loan through the UK Government website. You must apply for a loan by 31st May of the academic year in which you are studying (so for 2023/24, you must have applied for your loan by 31st May 2024).

if you are an undergraduate student continuing your studies in the following year, Student Finance will copy your current loan information to create the basis of your loan application loan for the next academic year. This usually happens in January to enable you to apply for the next year's funding from February. 

Undergraduate Maintenance Loan

If Student Finance approve a maintenance loan for you, the University will confirm to Student Finance once you have registered. If you are a new student, this will be when you have collected your ID card. When you are continuing your studies in future years, this will be when you complete online registration. During the first three weeks of term, we automatically confirm registration to Student Finance on a daily basis.  

Once the University has confirmed to Student Finance that you have registered, they will pay the first instalment of your maintenance loan into your bank account on the first day of term, or three working days after the University has confirmed you have registered, whichever is the latest.

If you have not received your maintenance loan, check you are fully registered by entering Student Self-Service and clicking in the "My Programme" tab to make sure your status is "Attending". Students who are undertaking reassessment without attendance will not usually be eligible for a maintenance loan. Also click on Additional Information" in Student Self-Service and check that we have your Student Support Number. If the field is blank, please add the Student Support Number from your loan confirmation from Student Finance. To find your Student Support Number, you will need to log into your student account and view your inbox. You should have a message called "Online Notification of Entitlement" and your Student Support Number is included on this PDF document. Your student Support Number is 13 characters long, starting with four letters (eg SFDU12345678A)

If your record shows that you are registered as attending, and we have your Student Support number, you should check in self-Service to see if we have notified Student Finance that you have registered. If your record states "Registration not Confirmed" and it is more than 2 working days since you completed registration, contact Student Records & Operations.  

Undergraduate Tuition Fee Loan/Grant

If Student Finance approve a tuition fee loan/grant for you, the University will confirm to Student Finance that you are in attendance at the start of each term during the academic year. The University will do this once you have registered and once your record with Student Finance matches your registration with the University. This will then release the tuition fee loan for that term to be paid to the University.

If your record with Student Finance is incorrect (eg you are showing on the wrong course, in the wrong year, or your tuition fees are incorrect) the University will notify Student Finance to correct your record. It can take Student Finance up to 6 weeks to amend your record once they have been notified of a change. Only once your record with Student Finance has been corrected can your attendance be confirmed and the loan released to the University.

Postgraduate Taught student loan (Full Time)

If Student Finance approve a loan for you, the University will confirm to Student Finance once you have registered. This will be when you have collected your ID card. 

If you are a Postgraduate Taught student from Scotland or Northern Ireland, where Student Finance may pay some of your fees directly to the University, the University will follow the same process for confirming attendance each term, as detailed for Undergraduate students.

Postgraduate Taught student loan (Part Time)

If Student Finance approve a loan for you, the University will confirm to Student Finance once you have registered.  This will be when you have collected your ID card, sent a completed study pattern to your School to confirm your rate of study means you are eligible for a loan, and registered for all the modules detailed in your study plan for that academic year.

• Download the PGT part-time loans pro-forma [Word doc]

Postgraduate Research Student Loan

If Student Finance approve a loan for you, the University will confirm to Student Finance once you have registered.

Changes in your situation

If you take leave of absence or withdraw from your programme, you should contact Student Finance as soon as possible to notify them. The University will also notify Student Finance of the change in your circumstances. Once the University has notified Student Finance, it can take them up to six weeks to update their records.

Adding or dropping a placement

If you add or drop a placement year from your studies it may have an effect on your student loan in the current or following year.

A. Making a change for the current academic year, where you have not made a loan application

If you add or drop a placement year between August and September for the coming academic year Student Finance will already have created your record for the year. The University will not be able to adjust your record with Student Finance until your loan application has been approved. Once your loan has been approved the University will notify Student Finance of the change required to your record, and it can take them up to six weeks to make the change on their system.

If you have not yet made your loan application, and you are adding a placement year, when you make your application you should select the version of your programme which includes a placement year.

If you have not yet made your loan application, and you are dropping a placement year, when you make your application you should select the new version of your programme without the placement year,. If you are unable to do that, you should select your current programme but increase the year of study to skip the placement year.

For example, if in 2022/23 you were on Part B and registered to study ABIC, your Student Finance record will show you on placement for 2022/23. If you choose in September not to take the placement year you should apply for your loan stating you are on a 3 year degree. If  the system does not allow you to do that, you should apply on your current programme and select that you will be in year 4 in 2022/23.

B. Making a change for the current academic year, where you have made a loan application

If you add or drop a placement year and you have already completed your loan application the University will inform Student Finance to update your record. The University will typically start doing this during August and September and will continue to review your record during the academic year. Once the University has notified Student Finance, it can take them up to six weeks to make the change on your record. 
The University cannot view or amend your loan until you have made an application and it has been approved by Student Finance.

C. Making a change between October-December for the next academic year

If you add or drop a placement year between October and December for the following academic year the University will inform Student Finance to update your record. When Student Finance create your record for the forthcoming year it will include the change to your placement.

D. Making a change between January-August for the next academic year

If you add or drop a placement year between January and August the University will inform Student Finance to update your record for the current academic year but will not be able to adjust the following academic year. When Student Finance created your record for the forthcoming year it did not include the change to your placement and you should follow the instructions in (a) above when you apply for your next student loan. Once your loan has been approved you should then submit a Change of Circumstance to request Student Finance adjust your loan to the correct programme and year of study.

For example, if in 2022/23 you were on Part B and registered to study ABIC, your Student Finance record will show you on placement for 2022/23. If you choose in March not to take the placement year you should apply for your loan stating you are on a 3 year degree. If  the system does not allow you to do that, you should apply on your current programme and select that you will be in year 4 in 2022/23 and then submit a Change of Circumstance to move to Year 3 of the 3 year version of your programme.

Loughborough University is an approved administrator for US Federal Loans. Information for US applicants is presented in the University’s prospectus.

Students who are on programmes which last more than one academic year and are eligible to apply for further US Federal Loans will be contacted before the start of the academic year. Contact the Student Enquiries Service for more information about obtaining a US Federal Loan.