Changing Course: Impact on Student Finance Payments
Switching course or transferring university pauses your payments while SLC re-assesses eligibility. Here is exactly what happens and how long it takes.
For the normal termly schedule your payments return to, see student finance payment dates 2026/27. Looking for when repayments start rather than when you get paid? See when do you start paying back your student loan.
Key Takeaways
- Payments pause the moment SLC is notified of a course change — notify them before changing, not after.
- Same-university changes typically resolve in 2–4 weeks. Inter-university transfers take 4–8 weeks.
- SLC re-assesses your eligibility for the new course — prior study, course level, and duration all affect your remaining funding.
- Payments resume once the re-assessment completes and your new university confirms your enrolment.
- Your total funding years (course length + 1) resets to the new course length if it is longer than your original.
In this article
What Happens When You Change Course
The moment SLC learns you are changing course, it pauses your payments and opens a re-assessment. This is automatic — you do not have to request it. The pause protects SLC from paying for a course you are no longer attending.
You notify SFE or your university notifies SLC
Either you update your application at studentfinance.gov.uk, or your institution contacts SLC directly when processing the change.
Payment paused immediately
Any scheduled next instalment is held. Payments already made for the current term are not clawed back at this stage.
Re-assessment begins
SLC checks your eligibility for the new course: level, duration, prior study, and remaining funding years.
New course confirmed
Your new university confirms your enrolment with SLC once you have registered on the new course.
Payments resume
SLC releases payments for the new course — recalculated based on the new course details.
Why Payments Go on Hold
Your student finance entitlement is tied to a specific course at a specific institution. When that changes, SLC must verify that you are eligible for funding on the new course before releasing money.
Key things SLC checks during re-assessment:
- Whether you have already studied at the same level (e.g. a second undergraduate degree has restricted funding)
- Whether the new course qualifies for the same loan type
- How many funding years you have already used vs how many the new course requires
- Whether the intensity change (full-time to part-time or vice versa) affects your entitlement
Changing Course at the Same University
Switching courses within the same university is the simpler scenario. Your institution updates SLC directly as part of their internal course transfer process. You still need to update your SFE application, but the communication chain is shorter.
Typical re-assessment time
2–4 weeks
Action required from you
Update SFE application
University action needed
Confirm new course to SLC
Contact your university's student finance office as soon as you decide to change courses — early notification shortens the payment gap.
Transferring to a Different University
Transferring institutions is more complex. Both your old and new universities must communicate with SLC, your application must be updated, and SLC must re-assess against the new institution's course details.
Typical re-assessment time
4–8 weeks
Parties involved
You + both unis + SLC
Payment gap risk
High — plan finances
Arrange a bridging plan before you transfer — your student overdraft or a family loan can cover the 4–8 week gap. Do not assume payments will continue uninterrupted during a university transfer.
Eligibility Reassessment After Change
SLC recalculates your funding position from scratch for the new course. The outcome depends on your history:
Changing to a course of the same length
Funding years adjust proportionally. Years already studied count against the new course's allowance.
Changing to a longer course (e.g. 3-year to 4-year)
Your funding ceiling increases to match the new course length + 1. You may receive additional years of funding.
Changing to a shorter course
Funding years reduce. If you have already used more years than the new course allows, you may not receive further funding.
Second undergraduate degree
Restricted funding only — tuition fee loan may not be available. Maintenance loan still accessible in some cases.
How Long Until Payments Resume
| Scenario | Typical Wait | What Speeds It Up |
|---|---|---|
| Same university, same level | 2–4 weeks | Notify SFE before changing; uni acts quickly |
| Same university, different level | 4–6 weeks | Upload evidence early; chase uni registry |
| Transfer to different university | 4–8 weeks | Both unis cooperate promptly with SLC |
| International transfer (returning to UK) | 6–10 weeks | Residency evidence ready in advance |
How to Notify SFE of Your Change
Notify SFE as soon as you decide to change — before the change happens if possible. Log into your SLC account at studentfinance.gov.uk and update your course details.
You will need:
- New course name and UCAS course code
- New university name (if transferring)
- New expected course start date
- New expected course end/graduation date
Your new university will also need to confirm your enrolment with SLC before payments resume. Chase this confirmation if your payment has not arrived within the expected window.
Impact on Funding Years Remaining
Your total funded years equals your course length plus one. Years already used count against this total regardless of which course or institution you were at.
Example
You studied Year 1 of a 3-year degree (1 year used, 3 years remaining including the +1). You transfer to a 4-year course. Your new ceiling is 4 + 1 = 5 years total. You have used 1, so 4 years of funding remain.
If instead you transfer to another 3-year course, your ceiling stays at 4. With 1 year used, you have 3 years left — exactly enough to complete the new course without using the +1 buffer.
For a full deep-dive on course change funding implications, see Changing Course Loan Adjustments.
Student Loan Calculator UK Editorial Team
Editorial Team
This page is maintained by the Student Loan Calculator UK editorial team, checked against GOV.UK and Student Loans Company guidance. Read more about our editorial approach.