Your student finance account

Your student finance account: passwords and Customer Reference Numbers
To access your secure student finance account, you’ll need your Customer Reference Number, password and secret answer. Signing in using these details means you’ll only see data that’s relevant to you – and that your personal details are protected. Make sure you keep all your login details in a place you can find them.
Getting in touch with Student Finance England
When you apply for student finance, you’ll be issued with:

•a Customer Reference Number (formerly known as an 'ART ID')
•a password and secret answer
You’ll need these details when you log in to your online student finance account or contact Student Finance England over the phone.
Keep your email details up to date
Student Finance England will send new passwords and secret answers to the email address they have for you.

If you change your email address, you should update these details online.

Just log in to your account and select ‘Update my profile’.

Log in to your student finance accountUsing your Customer Reference Number
Your Customer Reference Number is a unique, eleven-digit number used to identify your personal student finance account.
How do you get a Customer Reference Number?
You get a Customer Reference Number when you make your first application for student finance:

•if you apply online, you get your Customer Reference Number when you first register your details
•if you submit a paper application, you will get your Customer Reference Number by post
What happens if you lose your Customer Reference Number?
Your Customer Reference Number will be printed on all correspondence from Student Finance England.

You can also get your Customer Reference Number sent to you by email - see 'Find out your login details'.

Find out your login details Opens new windowUsing Student Finance England’s automated telephone service
You can also use your Customer Reference Number to get information about your account through Student Finance England’s automated telephone service.

Contact Student Finance England
Using your password and secret answer
Customer Reference Numbers, passwords and secret answers are case-sensitive
How do you get a password and secret answer?
If you register to apply for student finance online, you will be asked to choose a password and secret answer.

If you apply for student finance on paper, a password and secret answer will be automatically generated and sent to you. When you log in to your online student finance account for the first time, you will be prompted to change these to something more memorable.

Passwords and secret answers are case-sensitive:

•passwords must be 8-16 characters long and should contain at least one number
•passwords are blocked from containing easily guessed words – such as your username or words like ‘password1’
•secret answers must be 4-16 characters long and can be all letters, all numbers or a mixture of both

Changing your password and secret answer
You can change your password and secret answer at any time by logging in to your online account.

Log in to your student finance accountYou can reset your password or secret answer online – there’s no need to call Student Finance England
Resetting your password and secret answer
If you need to reset your password or secret answer (for example because you forget them or are ‘locked out’ of your account), see ‘Find out your login details’ below and follow the instructions. You will need your Customer Reference Number and your email address.

Student Finance England will send you an email with a new automatically generated password and secret answer. You can use these to log in to your account. Again, you’ll then be asked to change them to something you can easily remember.


Find out your login details Opens new windowPassword 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.

Contact Student Finance England
Online security: beware of bogus emails
Student Finance England will never email you asking you to confirm your login or user details.

If you get an email asking you to follow a link to the Student Finance England website to confirm your account details, you should forward it to:

then delete it.

This kind of fraudulent email is known as ‘phishing’, and will take you to a fake website.

Make sure you’re logging into the genuine site by typing direct.gov.uk/studentfinance into your browser.

By forwarding the email, you can help Student Finance England to protect you and others who may be affected.

But please note: Student Finance England cannot answer any specific questions about your account on this email address. If you have a query about any other email or letter you have received, you should log in to your account or call Student Finance England.

Online security - report a suspicious email to Student Finance England Opens new windowUse your login details for the Student Loan Repayment website
When you finish studying, you can use the Student Loan Repayment website to keep track of what you pay back. You’ll use the same Customer Reference Number, password and secret answer that you use now.

You’ll probably find that you can already log in to the Student Loan Repayment website – even if you are still studying.

Log in to the student loan repayment websiteGiving other people access to your student finance account
Sometimes you might find it useful to let another person - for example, a parent or someone from your college - manage your student finance account or make enquiries on your behalf. See 'Giving other people access to your student finance account'.


Giving other people access to your student finance accountNeed more help with student finance online services?
If you need more help with using the online application, see ‘Help with using student finance online services’.

If you can’t solve your login problem online, you can also contact Student Finance England’s customer services team. You’ll need to answer some security questions when you get through.

Posted in: Student Finance,Student Loans