Student Finance question

MiasMommy

Sorry feeling a bit dumb, managed to get accepted today woohoo!

So was doing my finance forms online.

Im a single mum on benefits, Im aware that I will get maintennace grants to help me live etc. Is there a grant to cover the tutition fees, or do I have to take out a student loan?

TIA

Oldernotwiser

MiasMommy wrote: »

Sorry feeling a bit dumb, managed to get accepted today woohoo!

So was doing my finance forms online.

Im a single mum on benefits, Im aware that I will get maintennace grants to help me live etc. Is there a grant to cover the tutition fees, or do I have to take out a student loan?

TIA

Assuming you've been accepted at university (congratulations!) you've left it very late to apply for student finance! You'll need to take out the fee loan to pay the fees and the maintenance loan and grant to pay for living expenses. There's also extra support for lone parents. You can find all the details on www.direct.gov.uk
Please tell me that you've applied for your finance by now; if you haven't the grants/loans may not come in time but your benefits will stop!:eek:

MiasMommy

Hi, yeah I did it this afternoon, I went through clearing thats why.

I was told my benefits were'nt going to be affected by the grants. x

Oldernotwiser

MiasMommy wrote: »

Hi, yeah I did it this afternoon, I went through clearing thats why.

I was told my benefits were'nt going to be affected by the grants. x

Unless you're talking about DLA your maintenance loan and maintenance grant count as income in the same way as if you were earning that amount. Your fee loan doesn't affect anything as it's paid directly to the university. You have to take out the maintenance loan as your benefits will be adjusted to take account of it, whether you take it or not.

I'm sorry if I'm being the bearer of bad tidings, especially if you thought you'd get all the student funding as well as your benefits. Who told you that they wouldn't be affected?

MiasMommy

The person at student finance lol I just rang up tax credits and they also said it didnt affect it. I didnt realise this. I dont suppose you have a link to shwo this, just so I can read it Thanks

Oldernotwiser

I have a feeling that I shouldn't have done that! When you've read it I'll delete it.

MiasMommy

Thanks I will be ringing them up in the morning

Oldernotwiser

MiasMommy wrote: »

Thanks I will be ringing them up in the morning

Not sure who you're planning to ring but the best person would be your Lone Parent Adviser. Don't be too downhearted, you'll still be able to go to university and manage in the same way as other lone parents manage. Good luck.

[Deleted User]

I'm a single parent and I'm starting uni in Sept.

As oldernotwiser says, you will lose you IS but as far as I've been told your child tax credit will stay the same. Also depending on what course you are doing ( if you get a bursery for example) and how much your rent is you may be entitled to get a little housing benefit. Of course you still won't have to pay council tax and you'll get your child ben, but don't worry about finances, you won't be worse off in fact you'll possibly be slightly better off ( but not much LOL).

Like oldernotwiser says, ring a lone parent adviser. Good luck.

SL x

MiasMommy

ahh thank you, I just rang up student finance and they said its either or. . I'm currently privately renting and the housing benefit is a massive help, so to lose that would worry me, so I think Im going to opt out of the maintennace grant and just see if I can survive.

Will I be eligible for child care help? That would be the most beneficial (sp) to me

Im so desperate to go to uni, I want to put my life back on track, lucky for me my uni is literally accorss the road, so no travel costs.

x

[Deleted User]

I too an in private rent and that was going to be a HUGE issue for me, but as long as I'm not a penny worse off I'll be ok.

You should apply for help with childcare ( a CCG1 I think) and they pay 75% of your costs. It can be a complicated form because you have to estimate how much your childcare bill will be in advance of you knowing what hours you need to if you need any help please feel free to pm me.

Not sure whay you think opting out of the grant will help you. Some of the finace is not taken into account when assessing you for H/B anyway, I'll not advise you take it, I'm sure there is someone more knowledgable who would know if it would be of benefit to you NOT to take it. Me, I've taken everything, I keep repeating.. IT'S NOT DEBT IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN MY FUTURE. lol