Women are top of the class when it comes to getting their student finance applications in early

Aspiring male students could learn a thing or two from their female counterparts when it comes to making sure they have their funding in place at the start of the academic year, according to Student Finance England (SFE).　

Last year, almost 75% of female applicants completed their application before the deadline, compared to 68% of male applicants. 　

Derek Ross, Customer Services and Operations Director at SLC, said: “Women may have had the edge on men last year but we would like to see all prospective students get their applications in as early as possible for the 2017/2018 academic year. The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at www.gov.uk/studentfinance.”　

Students from England can apply for repayable loans to cover their tuition fees and living costs. Extra help may also be available for students with a disability, health condition or specific learning difficulty or students who have a child or adult dependants. 　

Even without a confirmed place would-be students can still submit their finance application based on their first choice of course and update their application later if this changes. 　

Other tips for making the application process as smooth as possible include:　

• Checking out www.thestudentroom.co.uk/studentfinance to tap into a whole range of resources and find out more about what you are entitled to and how to apply.
• Having your National Insurance Number and Passport details to hand before you start your online application as you will be asked for this information    as part of the process. 
• Keeping a note of the email address you use when applying for student finance and make sure you choose a password that you’ll remember. The most common calls to the Student Loans Company are from students who have forgotten their password.　
• Following SFE at facebook.com/SFEngland, twitter.com/SF_England or youtube/SFEFILM to keep up with all the latest news alerts.