Best not to fill out the forms after a boozy night: you've got to fill out the right bit (the support request section) of the form PN1 and get it back to the LEA or SLC by the end of June (or the end of April if you’re sure you don’t want the means-tested bits of support, i.e. the grant and/or the extra bit of loan).

Even if you’ve applied in plenty of time, until you see the magical digits on a bank statement, it’s best to be sceptical about it turning up promptly.

The same is true even if you don’t apply till after you’ve started your course (which you’re allowed to do if you enjoy the financial equivalent of walking on hot coals). Leaving it till you’re really skint is like waiting till your clothes have all rotted before buying new ones – you’re going to have to go out there naked. It’s the same with money – you don’t want to end up unable to buy a tin of baked beans because you’re waiting for the SLC’s bureaucracy machine to slowly clunk its way through to issuing your loan. Better to apply early, before you’re truly broke and give yourself enough of  a cash buffer to cover you till the loan arrives.

Nonetheless, you can still apply for your student loan anytime up to nine months after the start of the academic year. It’ll take about six to eight weeks to process your application. Each year you need to apply again and if you don’t apply in any year for some reason, you can still apply again the next year (but you can’t apply retrospectively for a year’s loan you didn’t ask for at the time).

So – we’ve said it before but, what the hell, we’ll say it again. Apply early.

• Paying it back
• Frequently asked questions, student loan repayment

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