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Higher Education Account

Helping graduates with life after uni

  • No monthly fee
  • Take control with the Barclays app. Check your balance, send money and even earn rewards1
  • Arranged overdraft of up to £1,500 interest free (subject to application, financial circumstances, borrowing history and lending criteria) 
  • Now available to Higher Apprentices (Level 7+)

Whether you’re looking to start your first job, or travel the world, this account is available for three years after you graduate – which is the perfect next step after you’ve completed your studies.

How this account works

With this account you’ll be able to

  • Register for Online Banking, Telephone Banking and the Barclays app2
  • Get optional extra text alerts3 to keep track of your cash
  • Buy packs for extras like travel insurance and gadget cover for a monthly fee
  • Personalise your debit card with your own photo – a pet, a person, a place or even you at your graduation
  • Earn monthly rewards when you join Blue Rewards. Available with selected current accounts. UK only. £5 monthly fee, eligibility criteria and T&C’s apply.

Who can apply?

If you have a student account with us and have recently completed your studies, sit back and relax. You don’t need to apply, we will automatically move you to a Higher Education Account if you meet the eligibility criteria below. We will let you know 2 months before and then move your account and transfer over your existing overdraft if you have one.

Arranged overdraft

As a graduate, you can apply for an arranged overdraft up to a maximum of £1,500 (subject to application, financial circumstances, borrowing history and lending criteria).

No interest is payable on arranged overdrafts.

Overdrafts are repayable on demand and interest charges are variable.

You can contact us at Barclays, Leicester, LE87 2BB

If you don’t already have an account with us, you can apply if you

  • Are over 18 years old
  • Live in the UK
  • Have completed your full-time higher education in the UK within the past 3 years

When you apply, we’ll ask to see your degree certificate and 2 original documents (not photocopies) from this list.

General information about overdrafts

An overdraft limit is a borrowing facility which allows you to borrow money through your current account.

There are two types of overdraft – arranged and unarranged.

An arranged overdraft is a pre-agreed limit, which lets you spend more money than you have in your current account. It can be a safety net to cover short-term outgoings, like an unexpected bill. It is not suitable for longer-term borrowing. We charge you for every day of the month that you use your arranged overdraft where you go beyond any interest free limit you may have.

An unarranged overdraft is when you spend more money than you have in your current account and you have not agreed an arranged overdraft limit with us in advance or you have exceeded an existing arranged borrowing facility.

You can only make payments from your account if you have enough money in your account or through an arranged overdraft to cover them. Barclays will always attempt to return any transaction that could take your account into an unarranged overdraft position. Having enough money in your current account or having an arranged overdraft limit could help prevent payments such as priority bills from being returned unpaid.

On very rare occasions we may be unable to return a payment (e.g. due to an offline transaction made on a flight) and the account may enter an unarranged overdraft. No additional charges will be applied in this situation.

Information regarding the conduct of your account may be sent to credit reference agencies. As with any debt or borrowing, this may affect your ability to get credit in the future.

Our Eligibility tool can show you the likelihood of getting an arranged overdraft and the overdraft calculator lets you see how much it could cost to use an overdraft. To use these tools and find out more about overdraft charges, please visit www.barclays.co.uk/youroverdraft.

If we hold a valid mobile number for you, we’ll automatically enrol you to receive relevant alerts regarding borrowing and refused payments, to help you avoid charges. You can also choose to receive additional alerts, including Low Balance and Large Credit or Debit. Tailor your alerts to your personal needs online, by phone or in branch. To find out more, visit Barclays.co.uk/alerts.

Apply Now

Head to your local branch to apply or give us a call on 0345 600 4545 and we will book an appointment for you.

What you need to bring to the appointment

  • ID documents
  • Proof that you have completed your studies within the last 3 years (degree certificate)4
  • If you currently have an account elsewhere and would like to get our High Education Account, bring your bank’s debit card with you and we’ll sort the rest
  • If you were a Higher Apprentice, you'll need to provide your apprenticeship agreement and commitment statement

Barclays insurance

A safety net for unpredictable events. You could have peace of mind today. We provide a range of cover that's designed to offer protection when you need it.

Protect your tech

Insure your devices and gadgets, and get repairs at your door.

Make sure you’re covered – don’t wait until something happens to your mobile phone or gadgets before checking if you’re insured.

Mobile and gadget insurance administered by Likewize and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited ("Aviva"). You’ll need to have an eligible current account with us. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

 Travel

Travel Pack

Get cover for £14.50 a month

Worldwide, multi-trip cover – featuring our Which? Best Buy Travel Insurance June 2024. You get cover for costs, lost bags, cancellations and more with Aviva. And you get RAC breakdown cover in the UK and Europe too.

Six-month minimum term – T&Cs apply.

Account information and fees

You’ll find full details about banking with us and the terms and conditions of our Higher Education Account in the following PDFs:

Terms and conditions for personal customers

Fee Information Document - Higher Education Account [PDF, 348KB]

Current accounts – our bank charges explained [PDF, 1669KB]5

Get in touch

Questions about our Higher Education Account? We’re here to help.

Web chat

We’re online 24/7. Call us instead if you have a question that we’d need to check your identity to answer.

Tweet us

Tweet @BarclaysUKHelp and we’ll reply within 2 hours. Call us if you have a question that we’d need to check your identity to answer.

Call us

New to us? Call 0345 600 4545, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturday, 9am-5pm. If you already bank with us, call anytime on 0345 734 53456.

money-mentors-group-on-beach

Barclays Money Mentors

Make the most of your money with a little planning

Book a session with our Barclays Money Mentors team to learn about the basics of budgeting and make your day-to-day money management a little easier.