Completing a new application

• Make sure you know your RealMe login that you used when you applied online before.
  You’ve forgotten your RealMe username and/or password
• If you’re changing your course, make sure the course you’re interested in is an approved course or programme for Student Loan and/or Allowance.
• You need your course details handy, eg:
  • course start and end dates (you can estimate the dates and update this detail in MyStudyLink after you submit your application)
  • if you’ll be studying for a full year (a full year course takes at least 32 weeks to complete)
  • where you’ll study and what qualification level
  • study break period.
• You need to know whether you meet the passing requirements to be able to get a Student Allowance or Loan again.
  Passing requirements for a Student Allowance
  Passing requirements for a Student Loan
• You need to let us know if you have an overdue Student Loan repayment obligation. We compare records with Inland Revenue so we'll check this with them as well.

• Select ‘Apply for financial assistance’ and then ‘Start new eligibility test’.
• The application starts with the eligibility test
• Some of your personal details will be pre-filled with the information you provided last time you applied. If these have changed, you can change the answers.
• Your answers are saved as you go to the next page.
• If you stay on the same page for more than 5 minutes you’ll be logged out.

Filling out the eligibility test

• You can change your answers before you continue to apply online.
• After you complete the eligibility test, select what you want to apply for and continue with the application.
• You won't be able to change your answers once you select 'Apply Online'.

Filling out the application form

• You can save a partly completed form and come back to it later.
• You can change your answers, but not for the ones you've answered in the eligibility test.
• Your form will be deleted after 59 days if you don't submit it.
• We receive your application when you submit it.

Help completing an application

Once you submit your application

You'll get a confirmation page that shows:

• what you applied for
• your next steps
• any other form you may need to download and complete.

If you've applied for a Student Allowance, we may also include a printed pre-filled form with the letter we send you.

In most cases you won't need to send us any documents we've already seen. If you need to provide anything else, eg, evidence of income, we'll let you know. Anything you send us must be a verified copy not an original.

We can't approve your application or make any payments until we've seen your supporting documents. You need to send these to us:

• as soon as possible so you can get your payments on time
• by the end of the course you're applying for, or your application will be declined.

Check:

• your application status (allow up to 24 hours)
• if you need to provide any supporting documents
• if we’ve received documents you’ve sent us
• your letters from us
• how much you’ll get
• when your payments start.

Update your:

• contact details
• bank account
• course details, eg education provider, dates, student ID number.

Student Loan application

You’ll need to sign a Student Loan contract as part of your application.

Your Student Loan contract and how to return it to us or accept it online

Once your loan is approved and the first payment has been made, your loan details will be transferred to Inland Revenue.

If you decide not to go into study or don’t get accepted

To cancel your application: