EEA Family Member Student Finance Eligibility

[zare01]

Hey guys, so I may be getting ahead of myself but I thought I'd still ask the question.

A little bit of info on my current situation. I am currently on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme from Canada, and plan to get married within the next year if all goes well. So eventually after marriage I will apply for the FLR(M) visa and then in turn after 5 years, for my settlement visa.

The eligibility requirements for student finance are:

- Have settled status or be a UK national
- Be in the UK for 3 years prior to the application
- Normally live in England

However, on a side note it says that I may also be eligible if I am a family member of an EU national.

My question is the following:

- Will I eligible for student finance if I've been living in the UK for 3 years (regardless of my visa type) and I can prove that I am an EU national's family member?

- Or do I need a settled status regardless of applying on the basis of being a EU National's family member?

I'm just trying to see if there's any way for me to able to get student funding in 3 years time rather than waiting another 2 years (5 years in all) before I can study.

Thank you for your advice!