First steps to university as a military child

November 12, 2025

If you have a child preparing for university, you’ll know that the process can be complex for any family.

But for those in the army, there are a few additional layers to consider, especially when it comes to student finance and where you need to apply to.

Understanding how university funding works is a crucial first step. The United Kingdom has four different student finance authorities, one each for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the financial support available to your child depends on where your family’s permanent ordinary residence is.

For families living in Service Family Accommodation (SFA), this can be confusing as this is not viewed as a permanent residence.

If you are living in SFA then typically students should apply for finance through the nation where the serving parent lived immediately before joining the army – that is wherever their registered home address was at the time.

This applies even if you’re currently posted abroad, and regardless of where in the UK your child is applying to university.

If your family lives in your own home or in private rental accommodation, you should apply through the nation in which you currently reside.

For those families currently posted overseas, your child is still considered a UK resident for the purposes of university applications and funding.

UCAS NEED TO KNOWS

When completing a UCAS application, there are a few important points to bear in mind. If applicable, use your BFPO address in the postal details section as this helps to flag UK residency within the system.

When asked about residency, your child should select the home nation their serving parent lived in before joining the army, the country they signed up in, or your home nation if you live in your own home.

Your child’s nationality should be the same as stated on their passport, and where prompted, it’s advisable to indicate that the applicant is from a UK armed forces family. Including this in the personal statement, and asking referees to mention it in their reference, helps universities recognise and support students from military backgrounds.

The UCAS website ucas.com offers excellent information on how children from an armed forces family can apply as well as information about student finance.

Applicants can also find helpful details through Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland, and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. For families who are not UK nationals there is information on the AFF website aff.org.uk

BORN OVERSEAS?

Children born overseas during a military posting are also treated as UK residents for the purposes of university entry. In the application, their place of birth should be entered accurately, but nationality should be marked as UK if applicable, and a UK or BFPO address used where possible.

If any confusion arises over residency status, contacting the university directly can usually resolve the matter.

Postgraduate applications work slightly differently, as they’re made directly to universities rather than through UCAS. But the same residency principles apply, and families based overseas should still be treated as ordinarily resident in the UK. It’s a good idea to contact universities in advance to confirm their process.