Help With Student Loans - HERE!

Oldernotwiser

Pathologic wrote: »

Hi SLCworker,

My daughter was born and educated in the UK, but took a year out and went as a voluntary worker to Lebannon for 9 months from where she applied. When asked if she had lived or worked abroad in the last three years, she answered yes and gave her address as Lebannon. SLC decided she is not eligible for a loan without proof that her contract was temporary. She sent them the original of her contract which got lost and a letter from her employer, sent last week, will not be 'processed' for another three weeks.

By that time she will be beyond the deadline for confirming her finance with the college she is going to.

So here are the questions, where are the regulations governing the SLC?
how much will it cost to put my daughter through college without a loan? She is a UK resident and on the electoral register.
Is there any way to speed up the process?
To whom do we complain with best affect?
The SLC website is completely unhelpful!

Please help.

Regards,

Path

I don't work for the SLC.

I don't really think that you've got a cause for complaint if your daughter sent an original document through the post unregistered.

I'm not familiar with the deadline for funding or know how flexible it is but I wouldn't even consider funding your daughter yourself as overseas student fees are over £10,000, plus the maintenace costs. If this can't be sorted in time it would be much better for her to wait for next year.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the deadline for funding will be able to help you with this.

genuinegal

ive just applied for student finance for the first time and im concerned which financial year the SF company will assess my income from because 70/08 i was working full time, but 08/09 i became part time in work drastically reducing my hours to fit in around my access course. There wasn't anywhere on the application for me to say this so what's going to happen as i think it's slightly unfair to base it on a time when i was full time - why dont they look at your financial situation now rather than 18 months ago?

Thanks!
Emma

ashsmash90

I applied for a student loan.. matainance grant and loan etc.. howvere i forgot to click the little buttton which says i wish to apply for tutuion fees loan =O my application has already beeen approved etc etc ( i know i should of spotted this mistake earlier)

if i ring up... can this still be corrected?

HopeAndDriftWood

Yes. Or do a change of circumstances form, and post it to them. It'll take a while for them to sort out, but it'll be fine. Dont worry!

Taiko

For the change in income, it's a Current Income form, not the Change of Circumstances forms.

Ash - Download a Tuition Fee Loan Request form and fill that in to have it sorted.

sarahs999

It's very odd. My husband's loan should have started to be paid back from his salary in April but so far nothing has been taken. They've even sent us a statement saying they will start taking it in april, but they haven't. I suppose we should ring them - they won't suddenly grab a whole load to cover the past three months, will they? It's their mistake, surely?

student_advisor

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I don't work for the SLC.

I don't really think that you've got a cause for complaint if your daughter sent an original document through the post unregistered.

I'm not familiar with the deadline for funding or know how flexible it is but I wouldn't even consider funding your daughter yourself as overseas student fees are over £10,000, plus the maintenace costs. If this can't be sorted in time it would be much better for her to wait for next year.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge of the deadline for funding will be able to help you with this.

Applications are taking a while to be assessed at the moment, but don't forget that your daughter has all summer to be assesed and that even if that assessment hasn't been completed by the start of term, that doesn't necessarily mean she won't receive any funding ever.

Worst case senario is that she has to take a short-term loan from yourself or from the uni while appealling the SFE decision (her uni will be able to help with this - see Student Services/Student Union etc).

In terms of complaints, they have produced a handy leaflet: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/UsefulContactsByCategory/EducationAndLearningContacts/DG_171787 scroll down to "make a complaint" for information. I always recommend making a complaint against the SLC/SFE if you feel that they have been unhelpful, rude, etc or have assessed incorrectly and have been unhelpful in rectifying the problem.

Good luck and don't underestimate the help available from your daughter's uni - don't struggle to do it all yourselves (it's what we're here for).

student_advisor

genuinegal wrote: »

ive just applied for student finance for the first time and im concerned which financial year the SF company will assess my income from because 70/08 i was working full time, but 08/09 i became part time in work drastically reducing my hours to fit in around my access course. There wasn't anywhere on the application for me to say this so what's going to happen as i think it's slightly unfair to base it on a time when i was full time - why dont they look at your financial situation now rather than 18 months ago?

Thanks!
Emma

You shouldn't have to put your income down anywhere during your application (except for certain students who need to provide an estimate for 09/10).

student_advisor

sarahs999 wrote: »

It's very odd. My husband's loan should have started to be paid back from his salary in April but so far nothing has been taken. They've even sent us a statement saying they will start taking it in april, but they haven't. I suppose we should ring them - they won't suddenly grab a whole load to cover the past three months, will they? It's their mistake, surely?

I would check with the repayments team. How much does your husband earn? If it's under £15k he won't be making any repayments, and if the repayments are less than £1 per month, they won't take anything either.

If they demand 3 months backpay, I'd certainly be arguing the toss and refusing to repay!

Impet_Limpet

I'm confused, I applied earlier this month and today got this email.

Additional documents required to support your student finance application for academic year 2009/10
Dear Martine

Thank you for submitting your application for student finance.
We require some items of evidence to verify the details you have provided. If you have already sent in evidence, additional items may be required following assessment of this application.To check the list of evidence required and the address to send it to......please login....and go to the 'Evidence Summary' screen.

At the time I didn't recall them asking for any evidence so I was quite annoyed for not noticing. I've logged on but call me daft but I can't see the link? I have options of
Summary Links

• Fast Track Summary
• Eligibility Summary
• Entitlement Summary
• Personal Financial Information Summary
• Dependant's Grant Financial Information Summary
• Complete Application Summary
• Sponsor Details

I can't see an evidence summary option, can anyone direct me?:o