Help With Student Loans - HERE!

elfen

I've asked for my loan and grant to be looked at again, as when I sent in the paperwork I put down I wanted the Special Support Grant, not the normal one. I also sent in a Notification of
Benefits form as I've been on IB since April 2007, so well over the 28 week thing they ask for. However, mine got done as a normal grant, so I wondered if there was a rule change. But I had my DSA notification of entitlement letter today, and have asked them to look again at it - does anyone think they'll change it? Also, since I was eligible for the SSG from Sept, will they send me any money that's owing to me?

mxspyder

Hi, I hope somebody can give me a bit of guidance. I am 33 and studying part-time for a MSc - I am in year 4 of 8! My employer has been paying my fees etc so I have been very lucky so far, but it looks like I am about to be made redundant.

I have spoken to my course tutor and he has given me the opportunity to study full time which will mean 2 years full time starting in September 2010.This sounds like an option I would like to take - I have applied for the full time course and have been on the .gov website for finance details and have come away more confused than when I started!

I currently earn £30k, My wife doesn't work, we have a young daughter and a modest mortgage. So there won't be any income (Other than a VERY small amount of savings interest!) during the studies. The only information I can see is based on the current household income - will the fact the won't be any income during the studies be taken into account?

Any ideas of what loans/grants I can expect? I need to try and set some sort of a budget to see if we can afford to afford to live!

Any advise/help/guidance of friendly words of encouragement would be very appreciated!

Lokolo

If you have more than a 15% change in income then you can get finance based on the new income. Not sure exactly what forms you need to fill in though. If you are going to attempt to live off the loan and grants you will have to be very tight. If I were you I would look for a part time job of somesort (either your or wife) to at least have some income other than loans or grants.

MrsManda

mxspyder wrote: »

Any ideas of what loans/grants I can expect? I need to try and set some sort of a budget to see if we can afford to afford to live!
Any advise/help/guidance of friendly words of encouragement would be very appreciated!

If you go HEREyou can fill out the student finance calculator to give you a rough idea what you can expect to receive. You may also be entitled to Parents Learning Allowance and Adult Dependence Grant.

mxspyder

Thanks for the help Lokolo and Manda, I have used the calculator and that has helped. I hadn't heard of the parents learning allowance or Adult dependent grant - so thanks another avenue to investigate. Will they look at my income (or lack of it) during studies or what i currently earn?

I will look at some additional income later and deal with it then - I just want to budget for the "worst case scenario" for the time being. Thanks again

Taiko

You mentioned MSc. Is that undergraduate masters? Just for my workings here.

mxspyder

Yes thats right Taiko, thanks

VJW2010

Hello,

If anyone has experience of student loans and previous study (a long time ago) could you please advise.

Planning on going to university 2010 at age 44. I have been offered a place at Liverpool University on a 4 year course, year 0-3 with year 0 being foundation year, the course is for BSc (Hons).
However, I have attended university before for two years 1984-1986, no qualifications gained and obviously no loans involved.

What I am trying to find out is if I would be eligible for tuition fee loans for the first year and second year. I have phoned Student Finance England and had one person told me that study prior to 1998 is not taken into account and I would receive all loans and grants. Then I phoned back to check and was told that I would not receive any tuition fee loans for the first two years.

I will be applying for the finance anyway but that could take quite some time to get an answer. Without tuition fee loans it will be a struggle or I may even have to reconsider going.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Lokolo

VJW2010 wrote: »

Hello,

If anyone has experience of student loans and previous study (a long time ago) could you please advise.

Planning on going to university 2010 at age 44. I have been offered a place at Liverpool University on a 4 year course, year 0-3 with year 0 being foundation year, the course is for BSc (Hons).
However, I have attended university before for two years 1984-1986, no qualifications gained and obviously no loans involved.

What I am trying to find out is if I would be eligible for tuition fee loans for the first year and second year. I have phoned Student Finance England and had one person told me that study prior to 1998 is not taken into account and I would receive all loans and grants. Then I phoned back to check and was told that I would not receive any tuition fee loans for the first two years.

I will be applying for the finance anyway but that could take quite some time to get an answer. Without tuition fee loans it will be a struggle or I may even have to reconsider going.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=153,4680089&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Fill this in. It may give the response "Please phone us for more information" though, which is obviously useless.

---

Edit I tried filling it in with fake details and gave me useless answer. I haven't heard of the study before X date thing before but someone else may have? There are a couple of student finance workers (and LEA workers) who come on so will know more....

Indie_Kid

I am changing course in September but am still attending the same university and it's still full-time. Do I just write on the forms that I'm changing course? Or is there more I need to do?