Help With Student Loans - HERE!

VJW2010

Lokolo, thanks for your reply.

I have used the online calculator for 2010/11 and it is still confusing.

If I fill in my details with 2 years previous study I am told I would qualify for;
Maintenance Loan £4950 and that is all

However, if I then add in a choice of university I am told I would qualify for;
Maintenance Loan £4950 and also Tuition Fee Loan £3290, strange and probably wrong!

MrsManda

sh1305 wrote: »

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?

You need to fill out a change of circumstances form I think, you'll then get reassessed.

Lokolo

VJW2010 wrote: »

Lokolo, thanks for your reply.

I have used the online calculator for 2010/11 and it is still confusing.

If I fill in my details with 2 years previous study I am told I would qualify for;
Maintenance Loan £4950 and that is all

However, if I then add in a choice of university I am told I would qualify for;
Maintenance Loan £4950 and also Tuition Fee Loan £3290, strange and probably wrong!

Did you say Yes to the 'Have previously studied a high education course?'?

VJW2010

Lokolo wrote: »

Did you say Yes to the 'Have previously studied a high education course?'?

These were after putting in the 2 years previous study. Without the previous study the calculator showed me as being eligible for a grant as well.

Seems odd that the tuition fee loan should appear just because I added a choice of university.

Taiko

mxspyder wrote: »

Yes thats right Taiko, thanks

Ok, from the information I have on you, I'm guessing you've been studying part time and are looking at continuing part time.

In the first instance, it would be looking at your income for the 08/09 tax year, and also that of your wife. I would imagine this would take you over the threshold for any part time grants. There are no loans available for part time, and the grants are for course fees and about £260 for books etc.

However, for part time students, you can be assessed on estimated income for the 09/10 tax year. To qualify for this, your income must have dropped, although it's not by 15%. I can't remember the exact figure, and I've been snowed in so can't get into the office at the moment to double check, and current incomes on a part-time course are quite rare in my experience.

Taiko

VJW2010 wrote: »

These were after putting in the 2 years previous study. Without the previous study the calculator showed me as being eligible for a grant as well.

Seems odd that the tuition fee loan should appear just because I added a choice of university.

You will not be eligible for a tuition fee loan or maintenance grant for the first year of your course, under the previous study rules within The Student Support Regulations. Entitlement is calculated as the standard duration of your new course plus one year, less any years previous study. So in your case, it would be (4+1) - 2 = 3 years tuition fee support.

These 3 years are allocated from the final year of the course working backwards until all entitlement is used.

One of the qualifying conditions of the maintenance grant is that you are entitled to help with tuition fees. This is why you would only receive the maintenance loan in year one.

Additional grants such as Parents Learning Allowance, Adult Dependent's Grant and Childcare are exempt from the previous study ruling.

VJW2010

Taiko wrote: »

You will not be eligible for a tuition fee loan or maintenance grant for the first year of your course, under the previous study rules within The Student Support Regulations. Entitlement is calculated as the standard duration of your new course plus one year, less any years previous study. So in your case, it would be (4+1) - 2 = 3 years tuition fee support.

These 3 years are allocated from the final year of the course working backwards until all entitlement is used.

One of the qualifying conditions of the maintenance grant is that you are entitled to help with tuition fees. This is why you would only receive the maintenance loan in year one.

Additional grants such as Parents Learning Allowance, Adult Dependent's Grant and Childcare are exempt from the previous study ruling.

Thanks Taiko, that was pretty much how I understood the situation before speaking to Student Finance England and being misled by one of their staff.

One of them also said I would not receive the tuition fee loan in the second year, any chance that might be right?

The two years I studied previously were part of a four year thin sandwich course so it was actually only 4 short terms, probably equivelant to one full year support but I doubt I could convince them of that!

Thanks for your help.

Taiko

No, their advice is completely wrong. Nice to see the hopkins report hasn't done a thing. I've just sent off an internal message to their contact centre about these issues, as they wrongly advised one of my students the other day, despite them actually reading part of a 3 line note I'd written.

It's the two academic years that you would've been in attendance I'm afraid. No way around this.

VJW2010

Taiko wrote: »

No, their advice is completely wrong. Nice to see the hopkins report hasn't done a thing. I've just sent off an internal message to their contact centre about these issues, as they wrongly advised one of my students the other day, despite them actually reading part of a 3 line note I'd written.

It's the two academic years that you would've been in attendance I'm afraid. No way around this.

Taiko, thanks again. I know where I stand now.

Think it's best to apply as soon as possible and save as much as I can whilst still employed.

Final question, is it possible to get hold of a copy of The Student Support Regulations?

Taiko

They're available online from opsi.gov.uk