Help With Student Loans - HERE!

Helix

FOXGLOVE wrote: »

Went onto check the status of my application. I received an award letter ages ago but have signed nothing and had no payment info since then.

Does it take awhile for this to come through?

I'm thinking about phoning them but last time I did, I came off the phone wondering what happens next!

Did apply on paper or online? If you applied by paper then you signed the declaration as part of the form.

Also by award notice do you mean the letter that says you have been awarded Tuition Fee loan £xxxx, Maintenance loan £xxxx etc. If so then thats it until they send you the payment schedule shortly before you are due to start uni.

Gueld

Ronan88 wrote: »

I am getting royally screwed over by SAAS. They are only offering me £500 to live on for an entire year, and that's a loan!

How does someone live on half a grand a year? They will force me into commercial debt.

Was it income assessed?
One of my friends got a simularly small loan as his parent's are both high earners.

saverstacey

My husband is doing teacher training starting in Sept (1 year PGCE). I asked a question a while ago about his old student loans from early 1990s and was correctly told that as the loan is deferred there is no problem in applying for new finance.

However, his new loan has been refused and on further investigation it seems that the old loan should not have been deferred (even though we have written confirmation from Jan 09 that deferment is accepted) and that the full balance of £1000 plus £500 interest is payable before he can apply for new finance. Apparently he did not return a deferment form in 2003 and therefore is no longer able to defer his loan even though he has not worked for over 5 years.

I have 2 questions really...

Firstly, if we can find the money to clear this £1500, will his new loan application be accepted?

Secondly, is there any way we can get them to reduce the interest owed (seeing as they agreed to a deferment)? I think I can get £1000 to pay the balance but not the £500 interest.

Thanks for any advice.

goaround

Can you help? applied to uni to do psychology in september, got in, but I studied previously for 3 years without gaining a degree and i have been told I won't get anything toward this degree starting in september. I literally found this out 5 minutes ago, after spending a year at college studying to get into this degree

There were some mitigating circumstances that resulted in my failure to complete my original degree, but so far it seems that doesn't matter.

If I don't get any help I won't be able to go to uni. I'm so upset about this, I can't accurately express it right now. Can you help at all?

MrsManda

goaround wrote: »

There were some mitigating circumstances that resulted in my failure to complete my original degree, but so far it seems that doesn't matter.

This depends on what your mitigating circumstances were and if you've got evidence to back you up. If you had extenuating circumstances you may be able to get funding for another degree.
Otherwise, have you thought of going through the OU and working while studying?

goaround

MrsManda wrote: »

This depends on what your mitigating circumstances were and if you've got evidence to back you up. If you had extenuating circumstances you may be able to get funding for another degree.
Otherwise, have you thought of going through the OU and working while studying?

well I have filled out a new application (which they asked me to do) and I am including a supporting statement with this application. I also got in touch with my personal tutor from my old university and my counsellor, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

If they got that evidence, is there any chance of a reprieve? Does that ever happen?

MrsManda

goaround wrote: »

well I have filled out a new application (which they asked me to do) and I am including a supporting statement with this application. I also got in touch with my personal tutor from my old university and my counsellor, but I haven't heard back from them yet.
If they got that evidence, is there any chance of a reprieve? Does that ever happen?

I had two years worth of funding for a degree which I didn't complete due to illness.
When I applied for student finance for the degree I'm currently doing they initially assessed me as being ineligible for any funding. I contacted my LEA and argued that I had mitigating circumstances - provided them with a letter from my consultant and my personal tutor from my old university. As a result I have been given the same funding as if I'd never had any student finance previously. So yes it is possible.

goaround

MrsManda wrote: »

I had two years worth of funding for a degree which I didn't complete due to illness.
When I applied for student finance for the degree I'm currently doing they initially assessed me as being ineligible for any funding. I contacted my LEA and argued that I had mitigating circumstances - provided them with a letter from my consultant and my personal tutor from my old university. As a result I have been given the same funding as if I'd never had any student finance previously. So yes it is possible.

Great, that gives me some hope at least. I hope my LEA are as understanding.

student_advisor

saverstacey wrote: »

My husband is doing teacher training starting in Sept (1 year PGCE). I asked a question a while ago about his old student loans from early 1990s and was correctly told that as the loan is deferred there is no problem in applying for new finance.

However, his new loan has been refused and on further investigation it seems that the old loan should not have been deferred (even though we have written confirmation from Jan 09 that deferment is accepted) and that the full balance of £1000 plus £500 interest is payable before he can apply for new finance. Apparently he did not return a deferment form in 2003 and therefore is no longer able to defer his loan even though he has not worked for over 5 years.

I have 2 questions really...

Firstly, if we can find the money to clear this £1500, will his new loan application be accepted?

Secondly, is there any way we can get them to reduce the interest owed (seeing as they agreed to a deferment)? I think I can get £1000 to pay the balance but not the £500 interest.

Thanks for any advice.

I doubt they'll waive the interest, but your husband could apply to the university's Access to Learning Fund for either a loan or a grant to clear the balance owed so that he can get his funding.

student_advisor

goaround wrote: »

Can you help? applied to uni to do psychology in september, got in, but I studied previously for 3 years without gaining a degree and i have been told I won't get anything toward this degree starting in september. I literally found this out 5 minutes ago, after spending a year at college studying to get into this degree

There were some mitigating circumstances that resulted in my failure to complete my original degree, but so far it seems that doesn't matter.

If I don't get any help I won't be able to go to uni. I'm so upset about this, I can't accurately express it right now. Can you help at all?

It is possible to get more funding, but you will have to convince them to ignore at least 2 of the years you have already done. You will need to provide evidence to back up your circumstances as they will not just take your word for it. Your new uni/college might be able to help you with this.