The 30 November Calendar

Both UK student-money figures, drawn on real dates, so you know exactly which number is yours and when to have it ready.

Which of these is you

• Applying for a January 2027 start. Read "The rule today and the rule from 30 November" and "The 28-day countdown, drawn"; aim to submit by 29 November.
• Applying for September 2027. The new figures apply to you; second column below.
• A parent or relative is sponsoring you. Go to "Whose name the money can sit in".
• Your money sits in a Nigerian bank and you're not sure it counts. See "Does your bank count".

The rule today and the rule from 30 November

The UK requires living money for up to nine months of your course, on top of any first-year fees your CAS still shows unpaid. Rules laid in Parliament on 3 September 2026 (HC 584, paragraphs APP ST8 to ST10) raise the monthly figures for applications made on or after 30 November 2026. Applications made before that date are decided on the rules in force on 29 November 2026.

Sources: gov.uk, student visa money and the statement of changes, HC 584, 3 September 2026.

The 28-day countdown, drawn

The full amount must sit in the account for a continuous 28 days, ending no earlier than 31 days before the date you apply, and it must never dip below the required total on any day of those 28. Source: Appendix Finance.

• To submit on Friday 27 November 2026, the last working day before the change: have the full amount in place and untouched from Friday 30 October at the latest, with your statement dated between 28 and 27 November.
• To submit on Sunday 29 November: have the full amount in place by Sunday 1 November.
• The safer plan: settle the money by Monday 26 October and submit on Monday 23 November, a full week of cushion.

What the bank statement or letter must show

Your name (or your parent's, see below), the account number, the bank's name and logo, the date, and the balance for every day of the 28 days, or a bank letter confirming the money has been held for the period. Check the exact list on Appendix Finance and tick each line before you apply.

Whose name the money can sit in

Your own account, or a parent's or legal guardian's personal account, with their written consent and proof of the relationship (your birth certificate). Other relatives' accounts are not accepted for this purpose, and the account must be a personal bank or building society account, not a business account. Source: Appendix Finance.

The consent letter, ready to sign. Copy this onto plain paper or a Word page, fill the blanks, sign and date it:

I, [parent's full name], am the [father / mother / legal guardian] of [your full name], date of birth [date]. The funds held in my [bank name] account, number ending [last 4 digits], are available to my child for their studies in the United Kingdom, and I give my consent for these funds to be used for their Student visa application and their studies.

Signed: ______ Date: ______

Attach it with proof of the relationship: a birth certificate showing the parent's name, or the legal guardianship document. Names must match across the letter, the bank statement and the certificate; where a name has changed, include the marriage certificate or change-of-name document that connects them.

Does your bank count

The Home Office does not accept statements from unregulated financial institutions, or from institutions that do not keep electronic records, under Appendix Finance. Check your bank against that guidance before your 28 days start, not after. Source: Appendix Finance.

Worked example

Kemi, from Ibadan, holds an offer in Manchester, outside London, for a January intake. She needs £10,539 (about ₦19.3m) if she submits by 29 November, or £10,827 (about ₦19.9m) if she submits on or after 30 November. Her mother's account will hold the money. It lands on 20 October and nobody touches it; the statement is generated on 20 November, showing every day back to 23 October; she submits on 23 November with her CAS and her mother's consent letter. Same course, same Kemi, about ₦530,000 less to find, because of the date she chose.

The lines that protect you

Nobody "prepares" a bank statement. Money that lands fresh and leaves again is the pattern that fails a file. Nobody can guarantee a visa, including us.

Naira figures on this page were converted at the 5 September 2026 rate (£1 = ₦1,833.69).