The OU are giving me money?

Misty_Blue

I recently started an OU course for which I received funding. All has been fine and straightforward.

Today, I checked my bank balance and £255 has appeared by BACS from 'Student Loan Co.' I have no recollection whatsoever of applying for a student loan - the OU offered me money towards a computer, but since mine is new I didn't apply for this.

The only place I can imagine this has originated from would be the OU. Has this been paid to me by mistake? Have I been hopeless and not read some paperwork somewhere along the line? The wording of 'Student Loan' implies that this will need to be paid back, so I'm loathe to touch it.

welshmoneylover

It's a grant that you don't have to pay back.
I had the full allowance last year and the Loans bit threw me as well, but that's just the name of the company administering the payments. hth x

Misty_Blue

Thanks for the quick reply. That's good to know. A very nice and unexpected surprise!

BruceyBonus

Make sure it is actually for you (and not a mistake). You should have received some paperwork mentioning this amount.

iamadave

It is a grant as the other poster said. I was the same I got the grant last week, and I had not applied for the PC grant. A letter will arrive in a few days, I still rang to check as I thought I would just of had the course fees paid and could of applied for PC grant... but they said its for Pens and paper etc!

Still feels bit odd getting it, but i have paid for all my other fees for 3-4yrs so slightly balances itself as when I asked last im sure they said you had to be on benefits etc..

Misty_Blue

Thanks all. I will double check with the OU in the morning, but from looking around online it seems to be a fairly common thing.

iamadave wrote:

when I asked last im sure they said you had to be on benefits etc..

When I first thought about doing the OU, it was v.difficult to get funding of any kind unless you were on benefits, which is why I had to abandon the idea. Thank goodness things have changed.