Unpaid instalments
Are cancelled and will not be paid.
Student Refer & Earn
Referral Commission Policy
This policy applies to the student Refer & Earn programme. When a friend enrols through your link, you earn £500 and they earn £500 — paid in 3 instalments. Last updated: 23 July 2026.
Looking for agent policies? See the Commission Policies hub or Refer & Earn overview.
Rewards
Every successful referral pays separate rewards to both people. There is no cap on how many friends you can refer.
Referrer (you)
£500
Referee (your friend)
£500
Track rewards in your student portal
Sign in to your student portal and open the Referral Hub to see link clicks, enrolments, and each instalment marked as scheduled, due, or paid. You will also receive a reminder email 7 days before each instalment is due.
When we pay
Referral rewards are created when a referred person successfully enrols on an eligible funded degree programme through AF Associates and their conversion is confirmed in our system.
-
Friend enrols through your link
Your friend applies using your referral link and successfully enrols on an eligible funded degree programme.
-
Rewards are scheduled
You receive £500 and your friend receives £500, each split into 3 instalments from the friend’s intake month. Each instalment starts as scheduled.
-
Instalments become due, then paid
When the due month arrives, the instalment becomes due. Our team processes payment during the last week of that month and marks it paid.
Payment schedule
Referrer and referee rewards are split into 3 instalments (£170 / £165 / £165), counted from the referred student’s intake month (when their course starts). Payments are made in the last week of each due month.
Instalment breakdown
| Instalment | Months after intake | Referrer instalment | Referee instalment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st payment | 4 months | £170 | £170 |
| 2nd payment | 8 months | £165 | £165 |
| 3rd payment | 12 months | £165 | £165 |
| Total | £500 | £500 | |
Example: September 2025 intake
If your friend enrols with a September 2025 start date, instalments are paid in the months below (last week of each month):
| Instalment | Expected payout month | You receive | Your friend receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | January 2026 | £170 | £170 |
| #2 | May 2026 | £165 | £165 |
| #3 | September 2026 | £165 | £165 |
| Total per referral | £500 | £500 | |
Example: One September 2025 enrolment pays out £1,000 in total — £500 to you and £500 to your friend, across 3 instalments each.
Estimated earnings
There is no limit on referrals. Each successful enrolment earns you £500 and pays your friend £500.
| Successful referrals | You earn | Your friends earn (combined) | Total paid out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £500 | £500 | £1,000 |
| 3 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £3,000 |
| 5 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £5,000 |
Example: Refer 3 friends who all enrol in different intake months — you could earn up to £1,500 over their first year of study, with each friend also receiving £500.
If a student withdraws
If a referred student withdraws, defers, or their enrolment is cancelled before all instalments are paid, rewards for that referral may be adjusted.
Paid instalments
May be withheld, reversed, or recovered from either the referrer or the referee.
Self-referrals
Are not permitted and will not qualify for rewards.
Examples
Scenario
Your friend enrols through your link. Your first instalment (£170) is still scheduled in your portal.
Outcome
Your friend withdraws before the due month. All remaining instalments for both of you are cancelled — nothing further is paid.
Scenario
Two referrer instalments (£335) and two referee instalments (£335) have been paid.
Outcome
Your friend withdraws before the third instalment. The final scheduled payment is cancelled. The amounts already paid may be recovered in line with this policy.
Scenario
You refer yourself using a second account, or the same person is referred twice.
Outcome
The referral does not qualify. No rewards are created, or any rewards already scheduled are cancelled.
Request a Callback
Want to learn more about funded education options? Request a callback from our expert team, we’ll guide you through your options and help answer any questions about student finance and eligibility.
