Tier 4 Visa question (Maintenance funds)

Hello! I am currently applying for my Tier 4 Student Visa and if all goes according to plan, I will start grad school in the fall! I have a question in regards to the Visa application. Apologies if this question is redundant. I looked through past posts to see if I could find anything, but I'm at a loss. Anyways, here it goes:

In Appendix 8, question 6.16, you are asked to enter how much your official financial sponsor is paying towards your course fees and maintenance.  All of my tuition fees and living costs are being covered by student loans. For the maintenance portion, do I enter the remaining amount of my financial aid or do I enter 7200 pounds, the amount previously calculated to cover maintenance in question 6.7?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks so much! This site is going to be a great resource.

First, you should be filling out the application as "self-funded" if you're being covered by student loans.  A financial sponsor would be a scholarship or grant or if you had an employer paying for it.  Even though they are government loans, the government isn't sponsoring you.  They very much expect you to pay them back, unfortunately.   

So you would answer "No" on 6.14 and then skip to 6.17, meaning you don't need to answer 6.16.

Hope that helps! 

Hi NoseOverTail! Thanks for the reply. That makes sense now. Every time I think I've got a handle on this Visa thing, something else comes along to confuse me, hahaha. Thanks for the help!

Actually, MM86, since you're funding your studies via student loans, you're technically neither self-funded nor sponsored. HOWEVER, I believe that we can still fill out our applications as sponsored, and provide the award letter specifying where our funds are coming from.

I'm still interested to know the answer to your question, though; I'm having the same problem!

No, it's self-funded.  I filled out my Appendix 8 as such 2 years ago and I was completely covered by student loans.  But you are right that you need a letter verifying that you have the secured the funds needed. 

Sponsored is for people who have tuition, maintenance or both being paid for by a scholarship, organisation, government, etc.

Just thought I would chime in as I recently received my Tier 4...

MM86, I was in the exact situation as you few weeks back. All of my expenses are being covered by federal loans. So for Question 6.16, I put the total tuition plus the cost of living or maintenance fee calculated by the school (total loan - tuition).

It worked for me. My visa or "entry clearance" was issued last week. I answered a similar question regarding Megu's situation that you may find helpful in the following thread:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=70682.0 [nofollow]

Best of luck!

Thank you everyone for the replies!

No, it's self-funded.  I filled out my Appendix 8 as such 2 years ago and I was completely covered by student loans.  But you are right that you need a letter verifying that you have the secured the funds needed. 

Sponsored is for people who have tuition, maintenance or both being paid for by a scholarship, organisation, government, etc.

Just wanted to support NoT on this.

I applied last year for T4, and buried in the guidelines somewhere, they defined what an "official financial sponsor" was. It is for people who have tuition and/or maintenance fully paid for by a scholarship/organization/government--So things like the Rhodes or Fulbright scholarship would fall under this category. 

It's not for someone who would is self-funded. Though your loans are supplied by the government, they are something that you yourself will need to pay back (even in the event of death).

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/Tier4migrantguidance1.pdf

This might help clarify some points.

they are something that you yourself will need to pay back (even in the event of death).

Oh crap, how exactly?I wish the US had the same student loan system as the uk.

It's not for someone who would is self-funded. Though your loans are supplied by the government, they are something that you yourself will need to pay back (even in the event of death).

I don't believe that's true anymore, my boy just did his loan councelling/exit interview and it specifically stated that they are forgiven if the student dies.

I don't believe that's true anymore, my boy just did his loan councelling/exit interview and it specifically stated that they are forgiven if the student dies.

So nice of them ain't it?