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FlexStudent current account

The UK’s only fee-free student bank account.

Why choose our FlexStudent

  • Flexibility for when money is tight

    Money worries shouldn’t be an obstacle to your studies. So, if you need to, you can request up to £1,000 arranged overdraft in your first year, up to £2,000 in your second year and up to £3,000 in your third year. Find out more about borrowing with our arranged overdraft.

  • No fees, even when you're travelling or studying abroad

    You can pay with your card while abroad and there’s no Nationwide transaction fee. 

  • Your account will graduate with you

    When your course ends, we’ll change your account to a FlexGraduate and let you know. You don’t need to do anything. But your arranged overdraft limits will decrease in steady steps. Find out more about our FlexGraduate.

  • Bank how you like

    You can manage your account online, via our Internet Bank or Banking app, over the phone, or in branch.

  • Access to other Nationwide products

    Opening a FlexStudent is one way to become a member of Nationwide. Our current account members get access to exclusive savings accounts, like our Flex Regular Saver.

Note:

You need to pay in at least £500 each term from the date you open your FlexStudent account.

You’ll also need to keep a good credit record and show good account behaviour by keeping up with any payments and staying within your arranged overdraft limit.

If you don’t, we may remove your arranged overdraft or refuse to increase it. Eventually, we might have to close your account (with at least 2 months’ notice).

Please bear in mind that you cannot increase your arranged overdraft limit if you live outside the UK.

Ready to apply?

If you've already researched FlexStudent and know it's the right bank account for you.

To apply for FlexStudent

You need to:

  • be 18 or over
  • have been a UK resident for 3 or more years
  • not have a student account with another provider (though you can switch it to Nationwide)
  • have been accepted onto a full-time UCAS course of at least 2 years, in the UK
  • have an unconditional offer (if you have a conditional offer, you’ll need to wait until your place has been confirmed)
  • apply no more than 5 months before your course start date, or within 2 months of your course starting. But if you’ve had a savings, mortgage or current account with us for 12 months or more, then you can apply up to 18 months after your course starts.

Make banking easier with our secure app

  • Manage all your Nationwide accounts in one place
  • View and search your transactions
  • Freeze and unfreeze your Visa Debit card
  • Report your card lost or stolen and order a new card
Take a tour of our Banking app

Manage your account your way

Pay with your phone

You can use Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay or Paym.

Keep track of your money

You can set your text alert preferences to help you manage your money. And you can go paperless to help keep track digitally.

Visa debit card

You can make contactless payments up to £100 with your Visa debit card.

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay are available on selected devices and operating systems. Apple Pay and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Pay and Android are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung and Samsung Pay are trademarks or registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

FlexStudent arranged overdraft

We know money can be tight in university, so we've designed the FlexStudent arranged overdraft to grow with you during your studies.

In your first year, you'll be given an arranged overdraft of up to £1,000 if you want one. You can ask us to increase your arranged overdraft limit by any amount up to £2,000 in your second year. And up to £3,000 in your third year. We won't increase your limit unless you ask us to.

If you decide not to have the arranged overdraft when you open the account, you're free to change your mind at any time. If you request an arranged overdraft at a later date, we'll look at your circumstances to see if we can offer you one.

An arranged overdraft is designed for short-term borrowing. It will need to be repaid after you graduate, but you'll be given time to do this.

Find out more about overdrafts using our:

Overdrafts page – to understand how it works

Overdraft calculator – to compare the cost of overdrafts for our different current accounts

FlexStudent Arranged Overdraft Representative Example:

0% APR Representative (variable). Based on an assumed arranged limit of £1,200 and an interest rate of 0% a year (variable).

How does our overdraft compare?

A good way to compare the cost of our overdraft with other overdrafts or other ways of borrowing is to look at the representative APR. The APR shows the cost of borrowing as an annual rate.

Information:

When choosing the right student account for you, it helps to check that the arranged overdraft amount available is suitable for the entire length of your course.

Other ways to borrow

Arranged overdrafts are designed for short-term borrowing. But there are other ways to borrow that may be better for you, depending on your needs. Learn about:

Switching to Nationwide

Fast — switch in just 7 working days. You choose the date, and we’ll let you know when it’s done.

Seamless — a dedicated team does it all for you. They’ll switch your payments, balance and even your list of payees.

Guaranteed — there shouldn't be any problems but if there are, you won't lose a penny.

Fees, charges and important documents

Before you apply, make sure you read the:

Charitable Assignment

We don’t charge a monthly fee for maintaining your account or for anything else. Currency conversion charges will apply if you pay by card in a foreign currency.

Apply for FlexStudent

When you apply for FlexStudent, you can:

  • apply for a brand new bank account
  • switch your current account from another building society or a bank to us, or
  • change your existing Nationwide current account to FlexStudent.
Apply for FlexStudent

After you graduate

Unless you make other arrangements, we’ll move your account to a FlexGraduate account.

Your FlexGraduate will:

  • stay completely free of any Nationwide fees, even overseas

  • still have an interest-free arranged overdraft

  • help you to pay back your arranged overdraft by gradually reducing the limit each year

  • come with a new Visa debit card (but your account number, sort code and PIN will stay the same).

Our arranged student overdrafts page can help you understand how repaying your arranged overdraft will work.

You can have a FlexGraduate account for:

  • 3 years, if your course was 3 years long or more
  • 2 years, if your course was 2 years long

After that, we'll move you onto one of our everyday bank accounts.

If you don’t want a FlexGraduate account, just let us know.

If your circumstances change

Leaving university early

If you leave your studies early, you'll need to let us know. Call us on 03457 30 20 11 or visit us in branch to talk through your options. We may need to move your FlexStudent account to one of our adult accounts.

Extending your studies

If you’re planning to continue your studies after you graduate, then please come to see us in branch. While you’re studying you can keep your FlexStudent account. We’ll need your new course details, and we may ask for evidence of your change in studies. For example, a letter from your university.

Related links

I need help with my account

Our current account help section has the answers to our most commonly asked questions.

Protecting your money

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (opens in a new window) (FSCS) is a free, independent service that protects up to £85,000 of your eligible money at Nationwide.

Find out more about the FSCS (PDF, 936KB)

Nationwide adheres to The Standards of Lending Practice, which are monitored and enforced by the LSB: www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk (opens in a new window).