Manchester and Salford will soon be flooded with university students as the new academic year gets underway.
And for those starting university for the first time it can be a pretty overwhelming and stressful time as they move to an unfamiliar city, are looking to make new friends and try to settle into a routine.
For some, it will be their first go at independence, with buying their own food and paying their own rent.
Budgeting may seem like a nightmare so it's important to know how much money you'll be receiving from Student Finance and when you'll be getting these payments.
The majority of students will have applied for a Tuition Fee Loan, a Maintenance Loan and some, a Maintenance Grant.
Here's what you need to know on when you'll be paid, and what to do if you haven't:
Getting your first payment
You'll have to make sure you are registered at your university or college before the course starts - where you may have to show Student Finance your entitlement letter.
Payment schedule
Exact dates will be listed on your online Student Finance account, because they are based on your individual term start dates. However as they are paid in three instalments, your payment schedule will follow:
First payment- September 2019
Second payment - January 2020
Third payment - April 2020
How to find your payment status and what it means
Log into your Student Finance account, then click on 'Your Finance' then select 'Academic Year 2019/20' under 'view your payments'.
Here, you'll be able to see your scheduled payment dates and their status.
Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loan and any grants will be presented - where they could say awaiting confirmation - which means they'll make the payment once your university has confirmed you're registered for the course. Or blocked - which means they're checking your national insurance number (could take up to 10 days), bank details are missing or either they need more evidence from you.
If blocked, head to 'Your Profile' and then 'Your to do list'.
If the status is 'Scheduled' then this means you'll be paid on the specific dates shown.
What happens if you haven't received your payment?
Try not to panic as it can take up to three days for your payment to clear.
If your payment status is blocked, then Student Finance may need more evidence from you. To respond, log into your account and check the 'Letters and emails' section where further evidence might be requested.
What about if you applied late?
There's still time to apply to Student Finance if you haven't already done so. You can do so here.
If you apply less than four weeks before the start of the course, then they'll work out how much you could get without taking your household income into account - so you won't be without something to start the course. However it may not be the full amount that you were expecting.
Once all information is provided, Student Finance will update the amount and will ensure you're paid the difference as soon as they can.
Parents or a partner can send their details through their own online account at www.gov.uk/studentfinance.
How do tuition fees get paid?
If you applied for a tuition fee loan, it will be paid directly to your university or college in three instalments across the academic year.
Across the three terms, the loan payment is paid in 25 per cent instalments for terms one and two, and in term three, 50 per cent of the fee is paid.
This payment goes direct to your university or college, so you won't see or need to do anything with the payment.
What is Student Finance England?
It's the service provided by the Student Loans Compant. They provide financial support on behalf of the UK Government to students from England entering high education in the UK.
If you need help with any of the above, please contact Student Finance.
You can call them on 0300 100 0607 (textphone: 0300 100 0622) between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and between 9am and 4pm on Saturday.
