Can you have both a graduate and student account?

dan2097

In a couple of months I'm going to graduate from my BSc course and grades permitting start a PhD in autumn.

I currently have a Natwest student account which assumedly will change to a graduate account when I graduate. As doing a PhD makes you eligible for some student accounts, can you then also apply for a student account? (I suppose not with the Natwest though )

Stubert

Its in most banks T&C's that you will only be able to have one student/graduate account.

aqueoushumour01

my student account with natwest never changed over to a grad account. don't know why

melancholly

i have had a natwest student account all through my phd, after initally getting one when i started as an undergraduate. all i did was turn up with my student card and spoke to customer services (at a uni branch, other branches get confused by all this!). they then give you another 3 years - but as i'm into my 4th now, i just went in again this autumn and they gave me another year. for once, natwest were pretty reasonable and helpful about this and it didn't need any kind of 'application', just asking for it to be converted back to a student account from a graduate one!

dan2097

Stubert wrote: »

Its in most banks T&C's that you will only be able to have one student/graduate account.

That makes sense, I though it might have just have stipulated only one student account i.e. no mention of graduate accounts.
I looked at the Natwest T&Cs and I couldn't actually see the limitation on number of student accounts although I'm sure it should be there somewhere. It did mention in the T&Cs of both the graduate and student account that they should be your primary account which is probably a general condition hence ruling out having one of each.

melancholly wrote: »

i have had a natwest student account all through my phd, after initally getting one when i started as an undergraduate. all i did was turn up with my student card and spoke to customer services (at a uni branch, other branches get confused by all this!). they then give you another 3 years - but as i'm into my 4th now, i just went in again this autumn and they gave me another year. for once, natwest were pretty reasonable and helpful about this and it didn't need any kind of 'application', just asking for it to be converted back to a student account from a graduate one!

Sounds simple enough. How much interest free overdraft did they offer you? Did that allow you to have a young persons railcard for the whole of your PhD?

melancholly

i didn't get the account openning bonus again.... but you can buy a young persons railcard each year, even post 25, if you get a university stamp to show you are in full time education.

liam191

They say you cant have two student accounts but these banks dont talk to each other

melancholly

liam191 wrote: »

They say you cant have two student accounts but these banks dont talk to each other

there have been stories on here of banks finding out and immediately demanding the money back for any overdrafts and closing the accounts. lying to banks is not a very good habit to start - MSE is about doing the best you can without going that far.

reallylight

I have had 2 student bank accounts without any problems. When it comes to graduate though, don't you have to tell your bank when you are graduating University so your account automatically changes?

dmg24

reallylight, please remove the links from your signature.

jinkssick

Ill be putting all of it in a high savings account for the 3 years the graduate account will give me.

Wished that the banks would think that I want to get in debt for 10 years Imagine me 15k in graduate debt earning some nice interest!