Guidance

SFE: Current application timescales

Use this guide to get an estimate of our current timescales and find out when your next expected update on your undergraduate student finance application for 2024 to 2025.

Applies to England

This page is updated on a Monday

This page was last updated on Monday 262 AugustSeptember at 15:3016:30

If you’re still waiting for your application to be approved, sign in to your account to find out when to expect your next update on your application or evidence.

Keep in mind - this is our busiest time of the year, and you may not be able to get through on the phone. Everything you need to know can be found in your online account, including answers to the most ‘Common questions’. Save yourself a call and check there first!

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If you’ve applied for student finance

If you’ve recently applied for student finance, we might give you the minimum amount to make sure you have some funding near the start of your course.

How long it takes us to work on your application depends on what you’ve applied for and how many other students are applying at the same time.

If you apply this week for Current timescales are Expect an update from us between
Full-time undergraduate student finance 3217 working days Monday 723 OctoberSeptember and Friday 1127 OctoberSeptember
Part-time undergraduate student finance 4721 working days Monday 2830 OctoberSeptember and Friday 14 NovemberOctober
Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant 3032 working days Monday 714 October and Friday 1118 October

Remember to check the progress of your application using your student finance account.

If you’ve sent us evidence or made a change to your application

If you’ve sent evidence to help us work out how much you can get, or you’ve told us that your circumstances have changed, the table below shows when you should expect an update from us.

If you send us information or evidence this week about Current timescales are Expect an update from us between
your financial information, including the PFF2 form 4311 working days Monday 2116 OctoberSeptember and Friday 2520 OctoberSeptember
a change in your circumstances 3031 working days Monday 714 October and Friday 1118 October
Childcare Grant, Parents’ Learning Allowance or Adult Dependants’ Grant 3033 working days Monday 714 October and Friday 1118 October

If you’ve uploaded evidence or made a change to your application, your student finance account might not update straight away. We’ll update it once we’ve actioned your change or reviewed your evidence.

If you’ve applied for Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA)

If you’ve applied for DSA, sent us evidence, or emailed us about your DSA application, the table below shows when you should expect an update from us.

This week, if you’ve sent us Current timescales are Expect an update from us between
a DSA application 1721 working days Monday 1630 September and Friday 204 SeptemberOctober
medical evidence 1321 working days Monday 930 September and Friday 134 SeptemberOctober
a Needs Assessment report 1210 working days Monday 916 September and Friday 1320 September
a claim for expenses 75 working days Monday 29 September and Friday 613 September
an email 1317 working days Monday 923 September and Friday 1327 September

There’s no need to contact us once you’ve sent something. We’ll update you by email as soon as we’ve reviewed it, so make sure your contact details are up to date. Keep checking your email inbox for our replies and remember to check your junk or spam folders too!

Updates to this page

Published 27 September 2023
Last updated 262 AugustSeptember 2024 + show all updates
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