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Changes to the online application for student finance

If you’ve applied for student finance before, you may notice some changes to the online application. The system has been improved.

You can now submit a student finance application online for the 2010/11 academic year only - whether you are starting or continuing your course in 2010/11.

Parents and partners of students can also support an application online for 2010/11.

However, a small number of users have seen some error messages when applying online. Some of these have now been fixed - see below.

• Register, login and apply online for student finance

Internet browser settings

To use the online application, you’ll need one of the following browsers:

• Firefox (version 2 or higher)
• Internet Explorer (version 5.5 or higher)

Other browsers may work, but are not officially supported by the online application.

Browser settings

If you’re having problems using online services, check your browser has these settings:

• accept session cookies
• SSL3 (TLS) security
• Javascript is enabled
• browser cache checks for a newer version of a page every time it visits a page

If you try to log in from a computer at your school, place of work or an internet café, but can't access your student finance account, it may be that the ‘proxy server’ doesn’t support SSL3 (TLS) security.

Problems logging into your online account

‘The login details you have provided are incorrect. Please try again’

This error message means one of the details you typed in is wrong. This could be your Customer Reference Number (formerly known as an ART ID), password or secret answer. To protect your security, you will not be told which of these is incorrect.

If you type in the wrong details three times, your account will be locked - but you can still reset it online.

‘Your account has been locked’

You can reset your account online. There’s no need to call Student Finance England.

Click on ‘Find out your login details’ from the login screen – or follow the link below. You’ll need either your Customer Reference Number or your password and secret answer.

• Find out your login details Opens new window

Password resets - problems with hotmail accounts

If you try to reset your student finance online account password, and have a Hotmail, Live or MSN email account, you may not receive a password reset email.

Student Finance England has been working with MSN to fix this problem and in most cases it has been resolved.

But if you don't get a password reset email, contact Student Finance England and it will investigate.

More about passwords and Customer Reference Numbers

• Managing your student finance account

Using the online application: current error messages

‘Exception' errors - ‘please try back later’ or ‘fatal error’

If you’re applying online, you may see a message asking you to come back later.

First try logging out of your account, then log back in - and pick up where you left off. These messages sometimes appear when your answers to questions conflict with each another, so check that the information you’ve entered so far is correct.

If the message still appears, contact Student Finance England and they’ll investigate.

• Contact Student Finance England

UCAS ‘security certificate’ error message

If you apply for student finance online, you’ll be offered the option of copying your course details over from the UCAS website.

If you’re using Firefox or Internet Explorer, you may see a message saying that the site does not have a valid security certificate.

This message is caused by a system error, and Student Finance England is working to fix it. Please ignore the message - the online student finance application is a secure service that protects your identity.

Registering for an online account: error messages

‘You may already be registered’ message

You can only register with Student Finance England once. If the details you enter are already stored on the system, you may be prevented from registering.

Check that you haven’t made a mistake entering your name, date of birth or National Insurance number. If you’re still having problems registering, contact Student Finance England.

• Contact Student Finance England

If your payment is ‘awaiting confirmation’ or ‘blocked’

Payment ‘awaiting confirmation’

If the ‘View payments’ section of your student finance account says that your payment is “awaiting confirmation”, it means that Student Finance England is waiting for confirmation from your university or college that you’re attending your course.

To get this confirmation, take your Payment Schedule letter to your university or college. Once your attendance has been confirmed, you’ll get your payment within three to five working days.

Payment ‘blocked’

Payments can be blocked at your request, or at the request of your college or university (because you’ve withdrawn from your course).

If you’re not sure why your payment has been blocked, first check that your bank details are complete and correct using your online account.

• Login to your student finance account

If your bank details are correct, your payment might be temporarily blocked while Student Finance England checks your National Insurance number with the Department for Work and Pensions. If this is the case, your payment status should change to ‘awaiting confirmation’ in the near future.

If you’re still not sure why your payment has been blocked, contact Student Finance England.

• Contact Student Finance England

If you started an online application for 2010/11 before 8 April - but did not submit it

If you started, but did not submit, your application for 2010/11, you can log in and pick up where you left off. The screens you see might look different, but the information you entered before 8 April will still be available.

You submit an application by completing all the screens including ‘Review application’ at the end. If you need to send any evidence to Student Finance England, you will then see details of what you need to do.

Need more help with student finance online services?

Contact Student Finance England’s customer services team for more help with online services.

• Contact Student Finance England

More useful links

• Full-time student finance: frequently asked questions

• Student Finance England: service updates