FLR(M) Academic tax-free stipend

[salman128]

Hi everyone,

I have a query that I hope someone with more experience in this area may be able to answer directly.
I am applying to extend my wife's visa that is expiring in a couple of months and generally have most of the documentation and paperwork covered except for the financial evidence.

I am a PhD student in receipt of a tax-free stipend of £18,400 p/a and have a letter from the university and bank statements to prove this. This however, leaves us £200 short of the £18,600 requirement which I was intending to make up with my wife's income. Combining the two is a little complicated due to her technically being self-employed.

In the hope of cutting down the paperwork, I came across Chapter 6.4 in Appendix FM Sec 7.1 that states when a maintenance grant or stipend is received, to meet the gross financial requirement, the equivalent tax free income required is £15,800.

Does this mean that I can effectively meet the financial requirement on my own?
Sorry if this sounds obvious, but I want to make sure that I understood this correctly.

Thanks in advance.