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FlexStudent bank account

The student bank account that grows with you.

Apply for FlexStudent

Why open a student bank account with Nationwide?

Here's what you can expect when you bank with Nationwide.

An interest-free overdraft

Our interest-free overdraft can help you do everything you want at university.

You can apply for an interest-free arranged overdraft of up to £1,000 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.

After you graduate, you’ll still have your overdraft – we'll just ask you to slowly pay it back over time.

No charges to use your card abroad

There are no Nationwide charges for using your card abroad (but keep in mind individual sellers may still charge you).

We have one of the best student accounts you can get

As voted by our customers, we've been awarded Student Account Provider of the Year by Moneyfacts. Twice.

Open a savings account with us too and you could get an extra £100 each year

For the last 2 years running, we’ve given a £100 Fairer Share Payment to all our eligible members. This included members who had a FlexStudent account as their everyday account and £100 in savings with Nationwide.

Just so you know, we may change the eligibility criteria and the payment is not guaranteed. It depends on how well we perform financially, but it's our intention to make a payment every year if we can.

You’ll also get:

  • Access to preferential savings rates – just because you're banking with us.

  • Over 600 branches up and down the UK – we understand that there may be a time when you want to talk to someone face to face.

  • Ongoing support – when you graduate, we will convert your FlexStudent account into a FlexGraduate account with an overdraft that remains interest-free and helps you gradually reduce your borrowing.

To apply for FlexStudent

You need to:

  • be 18 or over
  • have been a UK resident for 3 or more years
  • not have another student bank account (if you do, you could move this to Nationwide)
  • have an unconditional offer or a confirmed conditional place on a full-time UCAS course of at least 2 years
  • be starting your course at a UK institution in 5 months or less, or have been on your course for less than 12 months
  • pay in at least £500 per term from the date the account is opened (this can be with your student loan).

Note:

If you already have a current account with an arranged overdraft (whether you’re using it or not), then you may not be accepted. You might be able to switch your account to Nationwide.

The UK's best high street banking provider for service

We have been rated the UK’s best high street banking provider for customer satisfaction in the building society and banking sector.

Reported by The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (January 2025) published by The Institute of Customer Service. 19 banking providers appear in the survey. Our high street banking provider peer group consists of those banks in the survey that have their own branches (excluding hubs and the Post Office). 

More about how we’re a good way to bank

Bank your way

  1. Our banking app

    Our banking app makes it easy to securely bank how you want, when you want.

  2. Chat with us 24/7

    Chat with a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using the chat service in our internet bank and banking app.

  3. 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.

  4. Pay contactless

    Make contactless payments up to £100 with your Visa debit card, or pay with your phone using Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

  5. UK call centres

    We believe you’re best served by people living and working in your communities. At times to suit you.

  6. Come into a branch

    We have over 600 branches up and down the UK, for when you want to talk to someone face to face. Find your nearest branch

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 top student money management tips

Starting university is an exciting time. But it's normal to feel worried about managing your money by yourself.

Before your studies begin, read our top tips so you can feel more prepared.

We've got a guide on how to get ready before you go and how to budget while you study.

Our guide to managing your money

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.

You'll need to pay in at least £500 each term, keep up with any bill payments and stay within your arranged overdraft limit.

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.

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.

You can apply for an interest-free arranged overdraft up to:

  • £1,000 in your first year
  • £2,000 in your second year
  • £3,000 in your third year

Your limit will stay at £3,000 if your course is longer than 3 years.

Not sure what 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.

Planning on 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.

How it works after you graduate

Unless you make other arrangements, we'll move your FlexStudent to a FlexGraduate.

With a FlexGraduate:

  • you'll get a new Visa Debit card
  • 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 the 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.

You should reduce your overdraft each year to match the new limits. If you don't, your credit rating may be impacted.

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.

Need help with your account?

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

We also have a quick guide to using your current account covering your everyday banking.

If you took up our £100 cashback and Just Eat vouchers offer, you can find help on our FlexStudent offer help page.

Are you an international student?

You need to have been a UK resident for 3 years or more to apply for a FlexStudent account.

If you live in the UK, we have other current accounts that might be right for you.

Compare our bank accounts

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, 2MB (opens in a new window)