Tier 4 – Maintenance (funds)

To obtain a visa you now need to show a set amount of money in your bank account. This page provides information on this new requirement.

How much money do I need to show?

1. In order to claim 10 points for maintenance, you will need to show that you have a specific amount of money in your bank account. This money is made up of 2 parts; your tuition fee and your living costs.
2. You will need to show your whole tuition fee for 1 year or the remainder of the fee (the debt to the University) if you have paid part of it. If you have paid your fee in full, no money needs to be shown for the tuition fee.
3. In addition to the fee, you must be able to show you have money for living expenses. The UK Border Agency state that a person must have £800 per month for either 2 or 9 months. You will therefore need either £1600 (£800 x 2) or £7200 (£800 x 9) to cover living expenses.

To determine which amount of living costs you need to show, please use the  Maintenance Flowchart

You must have held this total amount (tuition fee plus living costs) for 28 days. The balance in your account must never fall below the required amount during the whole 28 day period. If it is below the required amount, your application will be refused. The last transaction date (on your bank statement) of that 28 day period must not be more than one month before the date of your application.

What is a “low risk student” under the differentiation arrangement?

A “low risk student” is a student that the UK Border Agency considers to be from a country which has met certain criteria in relation to visa applications. All countries have been measured against a set of 4 criteria:

• Are the citizens of this country non-visa nationals for entry to the UK?
• What has been the level of forged or fraudulent documents used by these nationals in Tier 4 applications?
• What is the level of student compliance in the UK?
• What is the refusal rate of the country’s citizens at the boarder?

If you are considered to be a “low risk student” you are not normally required to submit evidence of supporting documents in the Maintenance section. However, the UK Border Agency reserve the right to request this documentation from you by a specific date whilst the visa application is being processed. We therefore advise all students to prepare financial documentation for a visa application whether you are required to submit it or not.

The list of nationalities which are deemed to be “low risk” can be found on this page of the UK Border Agency’s website – http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/evidence/

Self funding

Self-funding means that you have provided the money yourself, or a member of your family has provided it. If you are self-funding the money must be held in either your account or your parent’s account. It cannot be held in anyone else’s name, be they either a relative or friend.

You must ensure that your funds are not held in an institution that the UK Border Agency are unable to verify. You can find the list of institutions here (please note that the list has not yet been released). If you are submitting your parent’s accounts you must also include your birth certificate and a letter from your parents.

The bank statement that you provide must show the following:

• your name or your parent’s name(s),
• the account number;
• the date of the statement;
• the financial institution’s name and logo; and
• the amount of money available.

Please see the UKBA website for more details about what your bank statements should contain.

If the money is being held outside the UK, you must ensure if never drops below the required amount due to the exchange rates

Financial sponsorship

If you are being fully supported (both student fees and living expenses) by a government or scholarship agency, you will not need to show the amount in your bank account. Instead, to claim 10 points you will need to obtain a letter from the financial sponsor confirming how they are supporting you.

The letter must be recently dated, on official letter-headed paper and must contain:

• Your name
• The name of your official financial sponsor
• The contact details of your official financial sponsor
• The length of financial sponsorship and
• A statement that your financial sponsor will cover all fees and living costs.

However, if your financial sponsor is only paying tuition fees, you will still need a letter confirming the above (excluding the part about living costs in the last point) but you will need to show the amount for living expenses is held in your account and has been for 28 days before the application date.