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Student Finance England (SFE) guidance

SFE call centres have re-opened between 9am & 5pm. As waiting times will be long students are asked to visit the below FAQ's first

Please use the regular number 0300 100 0607.

If you cannot find the answer to your query on the FAQs:

  • Student Finance England social media team are also now available to answer questions about your funding on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Students in Wales can find out general information on the Student Finance Wales Facebook and Twitter pages.

FAQ's:

Guidance when phoning SFE

Before you make the call ensure you have your unique Customer Reference Number (CRN) and you know your secret answer and password as you will need this information to access your account.

Send all requested evidence Recorded Delivery and keep the barcode the Post Office give you so that you can track delivery details and the exact date you sent the last piece of evidence.

Do not discard this even when SFE confirm they have received it. Keep it until your funding has been fully approved and payments have been received.

If SFE still require further evidence ensure you know exactly what it is that they need. Every time you have to chase SFE it means that your application is being delayed and you will not receive your funding.

Change of Circumstances (CoCs)

CoCs can include the following:

A transfer between universities, transfer of course within the same institution, change in mode of study, i.e., part time to full time or visa versa, Leave of Absence (LoA) request, and return from LoA, repeat study, change of cohort.

Please note that you will need to obtain your Student Support Number (SSN) from SFE for these scenarios to be actioned. Your SSN will normally start with SFDU followed by 9 further characters, for example SFDU12345678D. The University will be unable to report any CoCs without this and your application will be delayed.

To resolve any CoCs SFE will need the University to send electronic notifications to update your details and process your application. These notifications will be sent via your Faculty Student Records or Central Student Records (CSR). Make sure you know exactly what SFE require from the University, as this information is very specific.

When you do this, it is vital that you quote your Student Support Number (SSN) SFDU as above.

You will need to log a Helpdesk call via your e-vision account. Your faculty office or CSR will pick this up and report back to SFE. Processing times will vary depending upon what time of the academic year it is. Make sure you confirm a timescale with SFE and chase them up at regular intervals if necessary.

Ensure you keep an eye on your online SFE account by checking on letters/emails as they will confirm all updates there.