grrrrrr student finance ...

top_drawer_2

hello,

After spending ages getting into my student finance a/c in order to apply for tuition and completing the entire form. I may have made a mistake and the guy from student finance says I will now have to complete a paper copy and send in my parents financial information!!!!

I have quite a complicated "history" and I'm not sure he was listening as there was something going on the background (laughing, shouting and him sniggering). I started at another university in 2003 and did two full years there, then due to family problems I moved to be closer to my home and my Dad paid for me to re-do my 2nd year here (at Preston). Then I did my third year in 2006/07 but was ill throughout and was never able to take my exams. Last year the uni didnt charge me anything as I was "exams without attendance" but my illness got in the way and again I didnt complete. Now I need to apply for a grant in order to cover the tuition for this year (2008/09) which I thought I had just done.

Now the form asked for how much my university was asking for in fees I just put the figure 1,180 in because that's what I thought it was in the past (wasnt it??). I just rung the student finance people and the guy said I would now have to do it again and submit my parent details. This is going to be a bit of a problem as they havent a clue how ill I have been (I avoid going home at the best of times) and have no idea that I havent taken the final exams.

Please can someone tell me what the answer is as Student finance have in the past taken weeks and weeks to finally tell me that I have filled a small part of the form out correctly.

Thanks

Jenny

Wiggynut

top_drawer wrote: »

hello,

After spending ages getting into my student finance a/c in order to apply for tuition and completing the entire form. I may have made a mistake and the guy from student finance says I will now have to complete a paper copy and send in my parents financial information!!!!

I have quite a complicated "history" and I'm not sure he was listening as there was something going on the background (laughing, shouting and him sniggering). I started at another university in 2003 and did two full years there, then due to family problems I moved to be closer to my home and my Dad paid for me to re-do my 2nd year here (at Preston). Then I did my third year in 2006/07 but was ill throughout and was never able to take my exams. Last year the uni didnt charge me anything as I was "exams without attendance" but my illness got in the way and again I didnt complete. Now I need to apply for a grant in order to cover the tuition for this year (2008/09) which I thought I had just done.

Now the form asked for how much my university was asking for in fees I just put the figure 1,180 in because that's what I thought it was in the past (wasnt it??). I just rung the student finance people and the guy said I would now have to do it again and submit my parent details. This is going to be a bit of a problem as they havent a clue how ill I have been (I avoid going home at the best of times) and have no idea that I havent taken the final exams.

Please can someone tell me what the answer is as Student finance have in the past taken weeks and weeks to finally tell me that I have filled a small part of the form out correctly.

Thanks

Jenny

do you still live at home?
if you have lived away for 3 years then you don't need your parents info as you are independent.
I would say that if this isn't the case then you are going to have to explain it to your parents as you will them to help you!
good luck!

top_drawer_2

i moved away for uni (in 2003) and earlier this year I moved into private rented accomodation...

Jen

Wiggynut

top_drawer wrote: »

i moved away for uni (in 2003) and earlier this year I moved into private rented accomodation...

Jen

so you are a independent student?

do they need your parents info because you have to 'prove' you were ill so to speak?

top_drawer_2

not sure technically if I am ... I want to be as it would make things a lot easier.

I can provide a Dr's note to prove I was ill...

Jen

Wiggynut

top_drawer wrote: »

not sure technically if I am ... I want to be as it would make things a lot easier.

I can provide a Dr's note to prove I was ill...

Jen

well, have you lived away from your parents for 3 years?

DrFluffy

How old are you? To be independent of your parents you have to be over 25 at the start of your course, to have lived away from home for 3 years for non-educational purposes, be married or in a legally recognised relationship (in which case you are dependent on your spouse and they fill out the parental bit) or legally estranged from your parents.

Else, they need to fill in their part of the form.

bestpud

If your parents paid for you to do your second year in 2005/6 then you have not been independent for three years.

When exactly did you leave home - as in support yourself fully in rented accommodation (but not uni)?

Supporting yourself could have been through benefits in your own name or earnings.

bestpud

Looking back through your posts, I would say you will only be classed as being independent from the time you moved into the rented accommodation earlier this year.

I'm guessing you have been in uni accommodation since?

When will you turn 25? It may be easier to wait until then and reapply as you will automatically be classed as independent at that stage.

top_drawer_2

excellent!! I was 25 last year, I will be 26 in just over a month.

Finally an upside to getting old!

Jen

top_drawer_2

DrFluffy wrote: »

How old are you? To be independent of your parents you have to be over 25 at the start of your course, to have lived away from home for 3 years for non-educational purposes, be married or in a legally recognised relationship (in which case you are dependent on your spouse and they fill out the parental bit) or legally estranged from your parents.

Else, they need to fill in their part of the form.

oh, I wasnt 25 at the start of the course ... I was 25 last year before the term started...

Does that count?

Jen