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What evidence do you need to submit?

Evidence video

Watch a video describing the evidence you may need to submit

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New students need to give evidence of their:

• identity, such as date of birth and place of birth
• any unearned income if required, such as income from savings and investments

Further student evidence is required if a student:

• is under 25 and wants to be classed as ‘independent’ instead of ‘dependent’ on their parents
• applies for extra help such as the Childcare Grant or the Disabled Student Allowances

Send your evidence to:

Student Finance England
PO Box 210
Darlington
DL1 9HJ

• Help for students with children

• Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)

Evidence of your identity

When you first apply for student finance, you need to submit evidence of your identity, date of birth and place of birth.

UK students: identity evidence

You can confirm your identity by providing your passport number in your online application. If you haven’t included your passport details in your online application you will need to send in one of the following:

• a completed UK passport details form (don’t send your passport in)
• your original UK birth or adoption certificate (with a countersigned ‘birth or adoption certificate form')

The person countersigning your birth or adoption certificate form must be of good standing and must have known you for at least two years. See the forms and guides page for a list of suitable professionals who can sign your form.

Non-UK students: identity evidence

You should submit originals of one of the following:

• EU national identity card
• original non-UK passport (don’t send your passport if you’ll need it to travel within two weeks)

Non–UK students: extra evidence items

You may also need to submit the following evidence:

• original Home Office documents - to prove refugee status or ‘leave to enter or remain’ status
• original national identity card, original passport or original birth certificate with a ‘birth or adoption certificate form’ - to prove you’re an EU national or have a ‘child of a Swiss national’ status
• photocopies of your P60, contract or letter from employer, audited accounts, tax returns or a P45 - to prove European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national UK work details
  

Evidence of unearned income

As a student, you’ll be asked to estimate any unearned income for the academic year, such as income from savings and investments. You may be asked to give evidence of this unearned income at the end of the year.

You don’t have to include any income that you get from earnings, such as income from a part-time job.

Evidence of unearned income can include copies of:

• bank statements
• self-assessment tax return
  

Evidence if you’re an ‘independent’ student under 25

If you’re under 25 and want to be classed as ‘independent’ from your parents, you need to give evidence to prove your ‘independent’ status. You can do this by sending in evidence that proves one of the following:

• financial independence for three years
• that you’re married, separated or divorced,
• that you have dependent children
• that your parents are dead
• that you’re no longer in contact with your parents

If you're financially independent

You can give financial evidence if you’re under 25 to prove your independence from your parents. You can do this by submitting financial evidence for a three-year period.

You can include periods when you were in work, in full-time education or unemployed – as long as you can show that you supported yourself financially.

Your evidence can include photocopies of:

• P60s (hand-written P60s are not acceptable)
• pay slips
• documents from your employer confirming your wages on company headed paper
• documents confirming that you’ve received benefits

If you're married or in a civil partnership

You can give evidence of your marriage or civil partnership if you’re under 25 to prove your independence from your parents. You can do this by sending in evidence of one of the following:

• original marriage certificate
• original civil partnership document
• confirmation from a solicitor of your marital status
• divorce - Decree Nisi, Decree Absolute
• dissolution of a civil partnership - civil partnership dissolution order
• original Council Tax bill, showing 25 per cent discount for single occupancy (as proof you’re separated)

If you have children

You can give evidence of dependent children if you’re under 25 to prove you’re not dependent on your parents. You can do this by submitting one of the following:

• photocopies of P60s (hand-written P60s are not acceptable)
• photocopies of Child Benefit details (including the name of the child)
• photocopies of family tax credit details (usually the whole Tax Credit Award Notification (TCAN) form - this needs to be dated after 6 April 2023)
  
• child's original birth certificate

If your parents are dead

You can give evidence of the death of your parents if you’re under 25 to prove you’re independent by submitting original death certificates.

If you're not in touch with your parents

You can give evidence of being estranged from your parents if you’re under 25 to prove you’re independent by submitting a signed letter from a tutor, teacher or social worker.

More useful links

• Order birth, marriage and death certificates

• Order an adoption certificate

Parents and partners: evidence items

• Evidence items that parents and partners submit