Help With Student Loans - HERE!

kelly_333_333

Oh I was aware of not receiving help with the access course, I was more suggesting towards once we have been accepted onto the degree. I'm thinking in advance on that front

Oldernotwiser

kelly_333_333 wrote: »

Oh I was aware of not receiving help with the access course, I was more suggesting towards once we have been accepted onto the degree. I'm thinking in advance on that front

But you won't be able to claim JSA if you're doing an Access course and you'll have to live on something! For HE funding, the best place to look is www.direct.gov.uk and then come back for further clarification. Don't forget that you can't claim benefits whilst studying.

kelly_333_333

I wasn't aware we wouldn't be able to claim any form of benefits while doing an Access course. How on earth do they expect people to get into uni so they can better themselves and find work if they will not help you get there?

I'd be quite happy working to support us while we study but it defeats the object, when I work I lose housing and tax benefits so the money I make will pay for that, where do I get money to feed us and pay for other bills/debts? If we both manage to find work we are then expected to fit in a course around full time work and fund it ourselves, I see no way out of this?

erb

My daughter applied for her 2nd year 2009/10 student loans last week. During the online application when she entered details of her partents it said that they will use last years financial information so no evidence will need to be submitted this time. So far so good but when she checks on the status of her application it said "awaiting parents information".

Now I am not sure if the parents should be entering their information online or as it said they will be using last years information and we don't need to do anything.

Anybody any ideas what will happen?

Nadeshka

erb wrote: »

My daughter applied for her 2nd year 2009/10 student loans last week. During the online application when she entered details of her partents it said that they will use last years financial information so no evidence will need to be submitted this time. So far so good but when she checks on the status of her application it said "awaiting parents information".

Now I am not sure if the parents should be entering their information online or as it said they will be using last years information and we don't need to do anything.

Anybody any ideas what will happen?

Mine said that once I submitted it, but it updated itself sometime in the next week to say I'd been assessed and my parents had yet to be contacted. Presumably once an actual person looks over the information they'll use last year's details.

Oldernotwiser

kelly_333_333 wrote: »

I wasn't aware we wouldn't be able to claim any form of benefits while doing an Access course. How on earth do they expect people to get into uni so they can better themselves and find work if they will not help you get there?

I'd be quite happy working to support us while we study but it defeats the object, when I work I lose housing and tax benefits so the money I make will pay for that, where do I get money to feed us and pay for other bills/debts? If we both manage to find work we are then expected to fit in a course around full time work and fund it ourselves, I see no way out of this?

You can only claim JSA if you're available for work. Could one of you work and support the other whilst doing the Access course? Alternatively you need to look for a part time Access course or some other qualification, such as the OU, which will be acceptable to the university.

Another possibility is for you both to get part time work around the course to pay your rent etc and claim ALG, £30 each, if you're under 25.

kelly_333_333

I'm not under 25, would I not be able to get ALG?

The places where we could do the access course only have part time over 2 years (we want to do it in 1) or part time in the evenings which we can't both do with a child.

Again working part time around a full time course will be difficult because of needing one of us to look after my child while the other is working.

What a nightmare this is, I feel really stuck. We were coping ok, both working and getting things paid. The current climate is making it difficult to find work, I thought studying while waiting for it to pick up again would be a wise move, seems not! I will keep looking for a way some how!

ssrae

My online balance from the SLC includes payments made up to the end of March 2007. I appreciate that the SLC are at the mercy of HMRC in updating this balance, but a 2 year lag seems unreasonable?!

On a separate note, I made a voluntary payment last April, does anyone know if my online balance is updated immediately to reflect this?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Lokolo

ssrae wrote: »

My online balance from the SLC includes payments made up to the end of March 2007. I appreciate that the SLC are at the mercy of HMRC in updating this balance, but a 2 year lag seems unreasonable?!

On a separate note, I made a voluntary payment last April, does anyone know if my online balance is updated immediately to reflect this?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Mines upto date, I would ring SLC if I were you lol, could be a problem with your account.

Oldernotwiser

kelly_333_333 wrote: »

I'm not under 25, would I not be able to get ALG?

The places where we could do the access course only have part time over 2 years (we want to do it in 1) or part time in the evenings which we can't both do with a child.

Again working part time around a full time course will be difficult because of needing one of us to look after my child while the other is working.

What a nightmare this is, I feel really stuck. We were coping ok, both working and getting things paid. The current climate is making it difficult to find work, I thought studying while waiting for it to pick up again would be a wise move, seems not! I will keep looking for a way some how!

You have to be under 25 for ALG for a level 3 course.

Don't discount one of you doing it one year whilst the other does it the next; many student couples have to do it that way.

Also, ask Kent if they would accept something like an OU unit instead of an Access course; many universities do.

I assume that you both already have the GCSEs required as well as the grade 5 instrument/theory or A level Music?