Help With Student Loans - HERE!

jayef

I heard on a BBC Money Programme that STATE pension is exluded from the 'Parental Income' calculation because the pension is not taxable income in that tax is not deducted at source. (Although it is effectively taxed by adjusting your tax code if I understand correctly).

Grateful if someone could confirm the position as our income will drop considerably when we retire next year and son could potentially become eligible for a Grant.

Lokolo

jayef wrote: »

I heard on a BBC Money Programme that STATE pension is exluded from the 'Parental Income' calculation because the pension is not taxable income in that tax is not deducted at source. (Although it is effectively taxed by adjusting your tax code if I understand correctly).

Grateful if someone could confirm the position as our income will drop considerably when we retire next year and son could potentially become eligible for a Grant.

I don't think thats right as here it says State Pension is taxable income

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/taxable-income.htm

Which is usually whats counted in these sorts of things.

deepaqua

Hi hope someone can help me regarding eligibility for student finance for my daughter. She has spent the last 5 years outside the EU at boarding school. We were supposed to be joining her, but fate intervened and we remained living and working in the UK. She returned home most holidays. Will she be entitled to student finance as a home student or not. I have found some sites quoting case law where parents separated and the child was found to be entitled to state support when returning to the British parent, but can anyone clarify what our position would be?

Thanks so much!

Chuzzle

Hi I'm wondering if there is any finance/grants help my son may be entitled to? He is 16 and now started studying First Diploma in Animal Care at Easton College, Norfolk. I've checked out the student finance calculator thingy on the direct gov website but his course and college aren't recognised. Unfortunately my husband and I earn too much (£32k) for my son to be eligable for EMA , he does have a part time job but it's not enough to cover his transport costs and the books he needs. I am prepared to foot the bill for these as he is my son but (as most other people) we are short of money due to other debts we need to pay. I wondered if anyone can suggest our best course of action here? I don't really want to put him in debt with a student loan at such a young age.

Lokolo

Ruthibe73 wrote: »

Hi I'm wondering if there is any finance/grants help my son may be entitled to? He is 16 and now started studying First Diploma in Animal Care at Easton College, Norfolk. I've checked out the student finance calculator thingy on the direct gov website but his course and college aren't recognised. Unfortunately my husband and I earn too much (£32k) for my son to be eligable for EMA , he does have a part time job but it's not enough to cover his transport costs and the books he needs. I am prepared to foot the bill for these as he is my son but (as most other people) we are short of money due to other debts we need to pay. I wondered if anyone can suggest our best course of action here? I don't really want to put him in debt with a student loan at such a young age.

Student Finance and Loans are for university qualifcations not college.

EMA is his only option, but as he is not entitled to this then no theres nothing he is entitled to unfortuantely.

Oldernotwiser

Ruthibe73 wrote: »

Hi I'm wondering if there is any finance/grants help my son may be entitled to? He is 16 and now started studying First Diploma in Animal Care at Easton College, Norfolk. I've checked out the student finance calculator thingy on the direct gov website but his course and college aren't recognised. Unfortunately my husband and I earn too much (£32k) for my son to be eligable for EMA , he does have a part time job but it's not enough to cover his transport costs and the books he needs. I am prepared to foot the bill for these as he is my son but (as most other people) we are short of money due to other debts we need to pay. I wondered if anyone can suggest our best course of action here? I don't really want to put him in debt with a student loan at such a young age.

Don't forget that you'll still receive child benefit and child tax credit for him as he is only 16. This level of education is a parental responsibility, with EMA available for students from for lower income households. Student Loans are not applicable at this level.

Chuzzle

Ok thanks, it was worth asking.

umgeni

Hi , Very quick question - can i get a student maintenance loan if I have a (very) poor credit rating?
I've looked everywhere for the answer, can't get through on the phone either!
Thanks

Wiggynut

umgeni wrote: »

Hi , Very quick question - can i get a student maintenance loan if I have a (very) poor credit rating?
I've looked everywhere for the answer, can't get through on the phone either!
Thanks

I have a very poor credit rating and got the full loan/grants etc - apparently it doesn't have any affects when applying for finance.
you probably wouldn't be able to get the halifax student account though as a lot of people get turned down and they don't necessarily have bad credit!
I got the full overdraft with Natwest Student account.

good luck - it's applying as soon as possible and you will find out then but I don't think you'll have any problems!

Moooooooosey

Hi

My husband's just started a PGCE course at Nottingham Trent. He applied quite late on, as a result of being made redundant from his previous job (would have been handy if his old employers had made the decision *slightly* earlier than a week before the closing deadline ).

Anyhow, he's applied for everything he can. And got a seeemingly minimal basic grant/loan and that's it.

I should mention that I don't currently work (have been a housewife/mum for the last few years, and given that I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant not likely to get a job soon). We have a son aged 5 and (obviously!) another on the way.

I couldn't support his application online, despite repeated attempts, so they sent us a paper application. We have no idea if they have received it, having failed to get an answer from them on the phone.

Do we trust that we're one of the 50,000 cases who are waiting to be fully processed and wait until October? Or do we keep attempting to contact them?

From the calculator on the direct.gov website, the loan they have given him is some £1k less, and the grant £1800 less. And since they clearly haven't processed what I sent in, there's no sign of any adult dependants' grant or parent's learning allowance.

We're also having issues with tax credits which doesn't help matters. Oh, and despite him having been a customer of HSBC for 15 years or so, they won't give him a student account for a postgraduate qualification because it's more than 5 years since he did his initial degree :rolleyes: Any recommndations for accounts please?


Gosh that was long. Thanks for letting me waffle. Any guidance/help etc gratefully received.