29 Mar Financial requirements for the Student visa
To study in the UK, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover the course fees and your monthly living costs. Generally, there are two categories of student visas depending on the age of the applicant: Student and Child student.
- General Student
For a student aged 16 or over, the amount of maintenance funds depends on the school location and the course length.
A person who is 16 or 17 years old can apply as either a Student or as a Child Student as long as the sponsor is an Independent school on a course least at Regulated Qualifications Framework 3 or Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework 6.
ST 12.1. If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has been living in the UK with permission for 12 months or more on the date of application, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.
ST 12.2. If the applicant is applying for entry clearance or permission to stay and is applying as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer or to study on a recognised foundation programme as a doctor or dentist in training, they will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.
ST 12.3. If ST 12.2. does not apply, and the applicant is applying for entry clearance, or is applying for permission to stay and has been in the UK with permission for less than 12 months, the applicant must have the following funds…
Unless the applicant is applying under the Student Union Sabbatical officer or recognised foundation programme or has already been living in the UK for 12 months or more, they will need to submit the required financial evidence.
The course fees are listed on the CAS and if the school is based in London, a prospective applicant would need to show maintenance funds to cover a maximum of 9 months calculated on £1334 per month, irrespective of the course’s length.
However, if your course is shorter than 9 months, then you only include the actual months when calculating.
The requirement is decreased to £1023 for each month (up to a maximum of 9 months) if studying outside London.
For the applicant who is seeking to study at a residential independent school, his/her balance should be sufficient to cover course fees and boarding fees for one academic year.
ST 12.6. The applicant must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period and as specified in Appendix Finance unless the applicant is relying on a student loan or official financial sponsorship which meets the requirements of FIN 8.3. in Appendix Finance
FIN 8.3. An applicant applying as a Student or Child Student, will meet the financial requirements if they provide evidence of any of the following (or a combination of them):
(a) money held in an account that meets the requirements set out in FIN 5.1. and FIN 8.1; or
(b) funds provided by an official financial sponsor, which must be His Majesty’s Government, the applicant’s national government, the British Council or any international organisation, international company, university or Independent School; or
(c) a student loan provided by:
(i) a government; or
(ii) a government sponsored student loan company; or
(iii) an academic or educational loans scheme which is provided by a financial institution regulated for the purpose of issuing student loans by either the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or, in the case of an overseas loan, the official regulatory body for purpose of issuing student loans in the country the institution is in and where the money is held.
All the funds should be held in any form of personal bank or building society account under the name of the applicant for at least 28 days, according to the Appendix Finance, the evidence needs to be dated no more than 31 days before submission.
You can be joined by a dependant partner or child to the UK if you are over 18 years of age. An additional maintenance funds is required, £845/month for London and £680/month for other areas (up to 9 months).
- Child Student + Parent of a Child Student
The Child Student route is for an applicant aged between 4 and 17 who intends to study at an independent school in the UK. As previously mentioned, a person who is 16 or 17 and studying an eligible course can apply for either a student visa or a child student visa.
Please note that the child is exempt from the financial requirement, if applying for further leave to remain and has been staying in the UK for more than 1 year.
The main difference between the Student category and the Child student route is that the later requires parental consent and adequate living arrangements. As a result, the required maintenance funds depends on the type of residence.
If staying at a boarding school, you should have enough money to cover tuition fees plus boarding fees for one year.
If living with a private foster carer or a close relative, course fees for one year plus at least £570 per month of the course length (up to 9 months).
More importantly, most children would live with their parent or legal guardian who is holding a Parent of a child student visa. In this case, the funds include living costs for both child and adult, are in the amount of £1560 per month in total (up to 9 months).
A child student’s parent is allowed to bring other children to the UK, with an additional £625/month of the course up to a maximum of 9 months for each child dependant.
The level of funds required is the same as that for a general student visa when the applicant is 16 or 17 old and living independently, namely £1334 in London and £1023 outside of London for each month of the course length (up to 9 months).
CS 10.3. Unless the applicant is relying on a student loan or an award from a Government or international scholarship agency, they must show that they have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period and as specified in Appendix Finance.
CS 10.4. The applicant must not be financially responsible for anyone else.
The funds should be held in the account for at least 28 days and the evidence should be dated no more than 31 days before application as stated in FIN. 8.3.
Contact Our Immigration Team
For expert advice regarding any aspect of the UK visa application, please contact our immigration team on 0203 384 3075
