bursary cancelled - any ideas why???

melroccan

My son is at Reading uni and receives maintenance grant and a bursary from the uni. He is in his 3rd year and financial circumstances have not changed but received a letter from the uni today saying his bursary has been cancelled, no reason given. His friend had the same. Any ideas why this could have happened? Have the uni got no money left or is this some computer glitch where they think he's left or something? No one available at the uni till Monday I may have had a heart attack by then!

jalison

my son too has received a letter cancelling his bursary and his friend but we have not been able to establish why. you would think there would have been a letter of explanation atteched wouldn't you? there is going to be a queue on the phone on monday morning!!

lozwinter

i know there was problems with the bursary systems in uni's at the end of last year. i usually get one in nov (given to those who get maintenance grants) and another in feb (based on the marks from the previous year)...my november one came in December because they were unable to process them at the given date. You should ring the uni student services and ask. thats what i did and my uni rang me back and explained what was wrong when my bursary was late.

melroccan

He did receive his October payment but this letter says future payments for January and April have been cancelled and no reason why. Jalison, is your son in his 3rd year too? This is such a worry.

jalison

sorry i was out today. no he is in his second year and we most certainly need this bursary to cope so it's a big worry for us too. my son also received his bursary of £270 i think in october. (not sure if that's the exact figure) and appears to have received the same letter as you. the next two payments were to be the bulk of the years bursary as they only received a small amount in october didn't they. what course is your son doing? i was wondering if it was to do with the course! my son is doing accounting with economics! his housemate has also received his october payment. i am absolutely disgusted thast they can send a letter like that with no explanation whatsoever. i'm trying to think that it must be a mistake but am not very confident.

jalison

i was just speaking to my son and apparently there is a group on facebook who all have received these letters cancelling their bursaries from reading university and even the student union do not know why they have been cancelled! your son could look this up on facebook (i'm afraid it's not my thing but i'm sure he'll know where to look) fingers crossed that there has been a big mistake!!

opaque

The name of the groups is: Support against University of Reading's withdrawal of Bursaries

49 members so far.

seb1950

Hi my son olso on the same boat he just got a letter without any expelenetion saying his bursary is stoped I just wonder can they do that.Is it possible for the universits to stop bursarys if they can for what reasen will they do that does any one know

melroccan

My son has just received an email from Reading University stating the letters were a mistake so bursaries will be paid as promised.

babydudeph

Hi. I have just been on the facebook group and below is an update on the situation. Hope it helps.

****Update****

Statement from the University,

Bursaries statement

Please find a statement below posted on behalf of Jennifer Ghandhi, Director of Student Services at the University of Reading, which we hope will clarify the situation.

The University of Reading would like to reassure students who have received letters relating to their bursaries that no bursaries have been cancelled. All students entitled to receive bursaries will continue to do so.


The administration of the University's bursaries is undertaken by a third party contractor, the Student Loans Company (SLC), which sent these letters in error and without any authority from the University.


The letters were issued without the university's knowledge and we will be contacting the SLC first thing on Monday to ascertain what has happened and to ensure payments are made. In the meantime, the University would like to apologise for the anxiety that receipt of these letters may have caused and to reassure all of its students who are entitled to receive bursaries that they will do so.


An update to this statement will be issued on Monday following discussions with the contractor.


Jennifer Ghandhi, Director, Student Services, University of Reading.

The University of Reading has decideded to stop all payments of bursaries to students entitled to them, with no explanation.

Voice your outrage at this decision and support us as we try and overturn the decision, or at least get an acceptable explination.

argood

The letters went out as a result of an administrative error.

There's no "decision" to overturn, people will still get their money as originally scheduled.