If your child, spouse or partner is a student in Higher Education they may be entitled to student finance. This takes the form of grants or loans to help them pay for living costs and tuition fees.

You can register with our online service to enable them to receive grants or loans. You will be asked to submit your details so that we can find out your income and personal circumstances. We can then assess how much they are entitled to.

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Five steps to supporting a student online

The following is a guide to providing your income details online in support of a student's application. Information is also available for new students and continuing students applying online.

Step One: Register

Step Two: Login

Step Three: Support an application

Step Four: Send in your evidence

Step Five: Use your account

Step One:

You should register your details with Student Finance Direct if you are a supporting student's application for the first time, and your home address is in England.

Registering provides you with unique security details so we can identify you when you provide your details online or if you need to contact us.

If you have supported a student's application in the past, or you have taken out a loan with the Student Loans Company, you will already be registered on our system and should not register again - go to Step Two: Login.

Registering creates your unique security details:

Password and Secret Answer
When you register you will be prompted to create a Password and a Secret Answer. You will need to use these details when you access the Student Finance Direct online services or contact us. It is important that you set these security details to something you are likely to remember.

ART ID
After you have registered you will be given an ART ID. This is a unique eleven-digit number that is used to identify you when you login to our website or contact us. It is also printed on all correspondence we send you. It is important that you make a note of your ART ID and keep it in a safe place.

If you forget your security details
If you forget your Password and Secret Answer, or misplace your ART ID, you can request these online from the Forgotten your Details link. If you reset your passwords these will be sent to your email address.

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Step Two: Login

You will need your ART ID and your Password and Secret Answer to login to the secure online area to create a support application. You can Login from any page on this website.

If you have forgotten your Password and Secret Answer, or misplaced your ART ID, you can request these online from the Forgotten your Details link.

If you think you may already be registered, but you do not have any of the security details you need to login, please contact the Customer Support Office.

From the secure online area you can also maintain your account if your contact details change.

Step Three: Support an application

Once you have logged in, select the link 'Support an Application'. This will start your application so that you can provide the details we need in order to ensure that the student you are supporting receives their full entitlement to student finance.

If you are providing your details for a student for the first time you will need to enter the student’s ALIAS ID. This is a unique identifier that will help us to link your details with the student. This information will be posted or emailed to you after the student has submitted their application, and is also available in the student’s online account.

If you have provided your details for a student in a previous year you will not need to enter the student’s ALIAS ID as your details will already be linked to the student.

If you need to provide your details for more than one student, you can do this by adding all of the students to your application – you will only need to enter your details once in any academic year.

You will need to enter details of your income, expenses, and any other dependants in your household.

You can exit the application at any stage before you submit it, and the information in each completed section will be saved. You can review or change the information you have entered up until you submit your application. Once you have submitted your application it will be automatically sent to your Local Authority to be processed.

The student you are supporting will be notified in writing of their entitlement to financial support. This letter will also detail any financial contribution you may be expected to make.

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Step Four: Send in your evidence

To confirm the information you have provided you will be required to send evidence to your Local Authority. When you have submitted your details you will be shown the types of evidence that are required and the address to send this evidence to.

It is important that you provide this evidence, otherwise the student may not receive their full entitlement to student finance. You can use your online account to track the evidence you send.

Step Five: Use your account

From your account you can update your contact details, view correspondence, and ask or search for the answer to your questions about student finance.

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