Undergraduate maintenance loan

If you didn’t apply for your Maintenance Loan to be based on household income (means tested) there are two forms that need to be completed; one which you need to complete and the other to be completed by your parent(s) or partner. Links to these forms are provided below. You can upload these forms onto your SFE account once they are completed:

• Form for student to complete
• Form for parent(s) or partner to complete

If your parent is divorced, separated or widowed, you will need to upload evidence of this along with the forms stated in the previous question. Examples of the evidence that is normally required are:

• Divorced: Decree Absolut or Decree Nisi
• Separated: Council Tax bill showing parent receives 25% single occupancy discount
• Widowed: death certificate of the parent’s spouse/ or civil partner
• Single: SFE will perform their own checks, if these checks are unsuccessful, they will contact your parent for further evidence (for example, a Council Tax bill showing parent receives 25% single occupancy discount or alternative evidence)

If your parent is unable to provide this evidence, please contact SFE (0300 100 0607) to find out what alternative evidence is needed.

Most students do not need to provide evidence of their parents’ household income as SFE go direct to check this with HMRC. However, if this information cannot be checked with HMRC then evidence will need to be provided. This is most common where your parent(s) did not live in the UK during the tax year in question.

If you are an independent student, your income is used and that of your spouse/civil partner (if applicable). If you are living with a partner, your partner's income is included if you are aged 25 or over.

You are classed as an independent student if you meet one, or more, of the following:

• You are 25 or older
• You have a child
• You have no living parents
• You are, or have been, married or in a civil partnership
• You have financially supported yourself for three years and can provide evidence of this (e.g. through 36+ months of payslips, which show a salary where you could be financially independent)
• You are estranged from your parents (this means you have no contact with them)
• You are a care leaver

If you are a dependent student, your income and that of your parent(s) is needed, but you do not need to declare your income from part-time work.

If your parents are no longer together, then the income of the parent you have most contact with is assessed.

If that parent is living with a partner, then the partner’s information is also needed.

Income from other people in the household, for example siblings, is not required.

Students: SFE will ask you to estimate your taxable unearned income for the academic year. For example, any taxable income you will receive from dividends, investments or renting out a property you own. You do not need to include wages from a part-time job you are hoping to get. For most students, your taxable unearned income is likely to be zero.

Parent(s) or partner:

• Dependent students: your parent(s)
• Independent students: your partner (if applicable)

The taxable income that the parent(s) or partner received in the 2022/23 tax year is also used, such as their salary, taxable benefits and income from pensions.

However, other factors are also considered, which could reduce your household income, for example, if your parents/ or partner have other dependants, or they have made private pension contributions. This means your calculated ‘residual’ household income could be less than your actual household income, giving you a higher amount of Maintenance Loan than you might have expected.

If your household income in 2024/25 is higher than it was in the 2022/23 tax year, you do not need to inform SFE of this.

If your household income in 2024/25 is expected to be at least 15% lower than it was in the 2022/23 tax year, you can request a Current Year Income assessment so that you can get reassessed and potentially receive a higher amount of Maintenance Loan.

Please contact DMU Money Advice by:

• Phone: 0116 257 7595 (select option 3, then option 3 again)
• Email: sfw@dmu.ac.uk

You can book a Quick Query or Money Doctor appointment through MyGateway.

If you are estranged or a care leaver, please contact DMU Transitions via email transitions@dmu.ac.uk if you need help with your application, or would like any further information about the support at DMU. You can also book a Transitions appointment on MyGateway.