Advice on Uni funding, help please!

mccristo

Hey guys,

I've been living in England for 2 years now and in September I shall be attending Sheffield Uni on an Accountancy and Financial Management course. (who knows in a few years maybe i'll be able to come on here and be of some use :rolleyes: )

I cant get a maintanance loan to help with living costs while I'm at uni! I phoned up my local authority and I cant get any help with living costs as I haven't lived in England for three years. I dont have any savings as such and I'm really worried about what I'm going to do by the end of September.

I've been searching frantically through loads of sites on the net but cant seem to find anything helpful aside from the normal student loan that I'm currently applying for.

Can you guys please suggest anywhere else I could look to help with living/traveling costs as a international student? I only found:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/StudentsFromOtherEUCountries/DG_070143

To which I was rejected at the living in the UK for 3 years thing, annoyingly in 6 months I will have been here for 3 years :mad:

Swirlywurly

Can you defer until next year? There is very little financial support in the UKfor people considered international students

Or maybe your course has an alternative start date in jan? Unlikely but worth a try..

Oldernotwiser

I agree that you'd be better off deferring until 2009; I can't see how you could manage to live and pay international fees for 3 years unless you have savings/rich parents behind you. Even if you're an EU student and can get a loan for the fees it's going to be really hard.

mccristo

I really dont want to defer my start date, I was really pleased when I got into Uni and it took a lot of courage for me to go for it as I've been an Au pair since I left Germany. I think if I left it another year I'd not get enough courage to go for it again. I'm 21 now.

Swirlywurly

You don't want to, but from the sounds of it you might not have much choice. Sorry to sound blunt but either you have the money to go for it this year, or you don't and you need to defer.

I appreciate that it may have taken a lot of courage, well done for going for it and getting an offer. Obviously Sheffield think you're worthy of a place and its a really good university. Don't write off the chance of finding funding but it is very late in the day to apply for anything even if you find it.

I started university when I was 20, and honestly it makes very little difference to your experience.

bestpud

Sorry if I am stating the obvious but your place would be safe if you deferred, ie you would not have to re-apply next year.

How about trying to get some work more related to your course? It may make the time go quicker, and boost your confidence, until you can start?

I agree, another year will make very little difference from an age point of view.

newmum1

Have you tried another route which is more flexible such as the open university??? A nd has affordable payments plans which you can make use of ??