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FlexStudent current account

The student bank account that grows with you.

What else can you get with our student bank account?

  • You can apply for an interest-free arranged overdraft

    You can apply for up to £1,000 interest-free arranged overdraft in your first year, up to £2,000 in your second year and up to £3,000 in your third year. You'll need to pay in at least £500 each term, keep up with any bill payments and stay within your arranged overdraft limit. More about borrowing with our arranged overdraft.

  • Bank with our app

    We know most of you prefer to bank on your phone. So, you can manage most things from our Banking app or by logging into our Internet Bank. You can also call us or visit your local branch. 

  • Make a difference in your community

    We believe in working together to help build a stronger, kinder society, nationwide. As a member, you can get involved in our Community Boards and help choose which housing charities we should support.

  • Your account will graduate with you

    When your course ends, we'll change your account to a FlexGraduate bank account (unless you make other arrangements). You don't need to do anything. You can still apply for our interest-free arranged overdraft, but the limits will decrease in steady steps.

  • Get interest and save while you study with a savings account

    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 and Flex Instant Saver.

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, or a current account with an arranged overdraft, with another building society or a bank (though you may be able to switch either to Nationwide)
  • have been accepted onto a full-time UCAS course of at least 2 years, in the UK, with either an unconditional offer or your conditional place confirmed
  • apply no more than 5 months before or 12 months after your course start date
  • pay in at least £500 per term from the date the account is opened (this can be with your student loan).

Apply for a FlexStudent

If you're sure you qualify for our FlexStudent and that it's the right bank account for you, press the button to apply online.

Apply for FlexStudent

Helping you manage your money at university

Starting university is a really exciting time. But it also comes with a few challenges, like managing your money by yourself. We’re here to help you feel prepared for when your studies begin. There are a few things you can do to get started:

Download our Banking app

Downloading our secure Banking app is a great, simple step you can take to keep track of your money. It’s packed full of useful features, from viewing and searching your transactions to freezing and unfreezing your Visa debit card. You can also check how much money has come in to and out of your account at a glance.

Explore and download our Banking app

Read our top banking tips for students

We’ve got some top tips for managing your student money. With advice on how best to prepare before you go and how to budget while you study.

Read our guide to managing your money as a student

Already have a FlexStudent?

If you leave your studies early, or are planning to continue your studies after you graduate, just let us know. Call us on 03457 30 20 11 or visit us in branch to talk through your options.

Manage your account your way

  1. 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.

  2. Visa debit card

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

  1. Bank securely with our app or online

    You can manage most things from our Banking app or Internet Bank. Whether you’re sending money to a friend for rent, setting up a standing order for your bills or just keeping track of your finances.

  2. Pay with your phone

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

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, Android, Google Pay and Google Wallet are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung and Samsung Pay are trademarks or registered trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Our interest-free student arranged overdraft

Our arranged overdraft comes with no charges and no interest to pay. It's a form of short-term borrowing that gives a buffer if you think your spending might be more than the money you've got coming in. But remember, you'll have to pay it back after you graduate.

To get an arranged overdraft, you'll need to agree with us in advance an amount you can borrow if you have no money left in your bank account.

How it works while you're at university

The maximum available limit you can ask us for increases in steady steps each year you’re studying, to help you manage your budget throughout your studies. In your first year, you can ask to borrow up to £1,000. It’s up to £2,000 during your second year and, if your course is 3 years or longer, you can apply for up to £3,000 during these years.

If you’re not sure how much you’ll need, don’t worry. You can apply for and change the limit of your arranged overdraft at any time. We’ll just need to look at your circumstances to see what we can offer you.

Thinking about studying abroad? You cannot increase your arranged overdraft limit if you live outside the UK, but you can usually keep the arranged overdraft you already have.

What happens after you graduate

Unless you make other arrangements, we’ll move your FlexStudent to a FlexGraduate. You’ll get a new Visa debit card, but the rest will stay the same. You’ll still get access to an interest-free arranged overdraft, but the limit you can ask for will reduce in steady steps each year.

You can have a FlexGraduate account for 3 years if your course was 3 years long or more or 2 years if your course was 2 years long. After that, we’ll move you to a FlexDirect or FlexAccount.

Learn more about our arranged overdraft

Our student arranged overdrafts page can help you understand how repaying your arranged overdraft works. And we have an overdraft calculator to help you compare the cost of overdrafts for our different current accounts.

Fees, charges and important documents

Charitable Assignment

Currency conversion charges may apply if you pay by card in a foreign currency.

Apply for FlexStudent

When you apply for a FlexStudent current account, you can:

  • apply for a brand new bank account
  • switch your existing student current account with another building society or a bank to us, or
  • change your existing FlexOne to a FlexStudent.

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 (opens in a new window)

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).