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Funding for clearing students

Last updated: 14/08/2024 11:06

If you are a home student coming to Cardiff University through Clearing, then you will need to make sure your funding application is updated.

If you'll be studying a healthcare course, read our guidance for healthcare students.

If you have already applied for funding

If you've already applied for student finance but you’ve changed your course or university through Clearing, you need to inform Student Finance.

If you do not update your Student Finance application with the correct university and course details, your funding cannot be paid to you.

Who to contact

You must inform the Student Finance body you applied to for funding:

How to update your details

The quick and easy way to update your details is by logging into your online account before 1 September and choosing ‘Change your application’. This should then take Student Finance up to around 20 working days to process the change.

After 1 September, you won’t be able to change the details yourself. Instead, the university will have to inform Student Finance on your behalf via an electronic ‘Change of Circumstances’ task. To request the university does this, e-mail studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk and put 'SFA Change of Circumstance' as the subject title and include your:

  • full name
  • Cardiff University student number
  • Student Finance Student Support Number (please note this is not your customer reference number).

Your Student Support Number (SSN) can be found on your most recent Student Finance Entitlement letter and consists of 4 letters, 8 numbers and another letter. For example, SFDU12345678Z or SFWU12345678Z.

This number will not be affected if you change course or university. If you can’t find your Student Support Number (SSN), you can call Student Finance, and they will be able to tell you what it is. We need your Student Support Number to be able to do the change of circumstances task.

How to manage funding delays

The university cannot confirm any changes to your course or university through the above-mentioned 'Change of Circumstances' task until you have enrolled. Once sent, it should take Student Finance a minimum of 20 working days to process but can take longer at the start of the academic year.

Therefore, if you do not update your funding application with your funding body before 1 September, we expect a delay in your funding being paid to you and confirmation of your tuition fee funding to the university. In this situation, it is best to bring some money with you to university to help meet your general living costs for the first weeks of university.

All students are given 30 days after enrolment to have their tuition fees confirmed to the university, so you will not be expected to pay anything towards your tuition fees during this time.

If you are moving into university accommodation and have not received the first instalment of your funding by the first payment date, then contact Residences directly to request an extension:

Residences Office

If you have any financial concerns or difficulties do not hesitate to contact the Funding and Advice team who can offer help and advice.

If you haven't applied for funding yet

If you haven't yet applied for student finance but require this funding, you need to apply as soon as possible to the relevant funding body, based on where you were ordinarily resident before you start your course:

It can take a funding body up to six weeks to process your application when they have all the required information, so the sooner you apply the quicker your funding will be confirmed and paid to you. You might not get all of your money in time for the start of your course, but Student Finance will try to pay you some money as close to the start of your course as possible.

You'll still be entitled to your full funding entitlement for the year even if there is a delay in your first instalment being paid to you, so long as you apply within nine months of the start of the academic year (1 September) for funding for that year.

If you're studying a healthcare course

If you have obtained a place to study a healthcare course in the School of Healthcare Sciences or on a Dental Therapy and Hygiene course, you are likely to have a choice of funding route between NHS Funding or full Student Finance. Find more information about the different funding packages.

Whether you have applied for funding already or not, it is strongly recommended that you contact the Funding and Advice team to get specific advice about your application.

If you have applied for funding, we can check that your application appears to be correct and when you are likely to receive payment.

If you have yet to apply for funding, we can provide information about the funding available and how to apply for it.

An application for funding can take at least six weeks to be processed, so the sooner you apply, the quicker your funding will be confirmed and paid to you after enrolment.

Further advice

If you have any questions about Student Finance or funding, contact:

Student Funding and Advice team