Version 1.0 - Last Updated: 02 May 2024
Data retention
Targeted bulk erasure of data
To comply with the Data Protection Act 2018, we delete some information from our systems that we no longer have reason to keep.
This currently includes deleting applications and customer information where:
- no payment has ever been made
- agreed retention triggers and periods have passed
Once the retention period is over, these applications are removed from the system.
There are some exceptions where we'll keep the data for longer, such as cases of fraud.
Retention triggers and periods
Undergraduate loans and grants (excluding DSAs) and Northern Irish Postgraduate Master's and Doctoral Loans
Application approved? | Retention trigger | Retention period |
No | 12 months from the start date of the academic year | 6 months |
No (ineligible) | 12 months from the start date of the academic year | 6 months |
Yes | 24 months from the start date of the academic year and no payment made | 12 months |
Undergraduate and postgraduateĀ DSAs
Application approved? | Retention trigger | Retention period |
No | 12 months from the start date of the last year of the course | 6 months |
No (ineligible) | 12 months from the start date of the academic year | 12 months |
Yes | 12 months from the start date of the last year of the course and no payment made | 12 months |
Student Finance England and Student Finance Wales Postgraduate Master's and Doctoral Loans
Application approved? | Retention trigger | Retention period |
No | 12 months from the start date of the last year of the course | 6 months |
No (ineligible) | 12 months from the start date of the academic year | 12 months |
Yes | 12 months from the start date of the last year of the course and no payment made | 12 months |