Help With Student Loans - HERE!

methodicalmadness

Hi there, Ok....so before I contact SAAS, I wonder if anyone can advise me!
This is my second degree, its is a 4 year Masters undergrad course. My first degree was a BSc(hons) and im now studying in England.
I am not recieving a tuition fees loan, and my maintanence loan is tiny as I am under 25 and my folks earn too much (how inconciderate :P).
As this degree is a level above my previous degree, should I be getting the tuition fee loan?
I am not receiving help from my parents....(and im not going to take action against them :P), is there anyway of getting a higher maintenance loan through SAAS?
Really struggling here folks. So any help and advice you can give me is very gratefully recieved!
Cheers

setmefree2

coffeenut wrote: »

Hi, Just joined this forum so hope you're still able to give advice? My daughter finished uni two years ago with an £18k debt. Since then the interest has averaged £80 a month - around another £2k. I rang the student loans company and they said there's nothing she can do to suspend the interest as 'she knew what she was doing when she signed up for it'! Can you advise?

The new loan system is going to make this situation even worse potentially isn't it? Students are going to borrow more and pay more interest - quite scary! :eek:

For example,

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that, for about half of gradates, the plan is essentially a 9% graduate tax for 30 years, because they will not finish paying off the debt by the 30-year cut-off point.
Assuming fees of £7,500 for a three year degree, plus maintenance loans, its modelling shows that the top 10% of graduate earners will clear their debts, on average, in about 15 years. But a middle-earning graduate would need to earn, for example, an average of £48,850 a year for 26 years to pay off their debt.

Taiko

setmefree2 wrote: »

The new loan system is going to make this situation even worse potentially isn't it? Students are going to borrow more and pay more interest - quite scary! :eek:

For example,

But the higher interest rates will only apply to those new students from 2012. Where the OP's daughter has finished already, it will be capped at the March RPI or BoE Base rate +1%, whichever is lower.

methodicalmadness

methodicalmadness wrote: »

Hi there, Ok....so before I contact SAAS, I wonder if anyone can advise me!
This is my second degree, its is a 4 year Masters undergrad course. My first degree was a BSc(hons) and im now studying in England.
I am not recieving a tuition fees loan, and my maintanence loan is tiny as I am under 25 and my folks earn too much (how inconciderate :P).
As this degree is a level above my previous degree, should I be getting the tuition fee loan?
I am not receiving help from my parents....(and im not going to take action against them :P), is there anyway of getting a higher maintenance loan through SAAS?
Really struggling here folks. So any help and advice you can give me is very gratefully recieved!
Cheers

If anyone could help me here I'd really appreciate it!

melancholly

methodicalmadness wrote: »

If anyone could help me here I'd really appreciate it!

i don't think you're entitled to any help with tuition fees; they'll pay for one degree, not two.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Gettingstarted/DG_171574
http://www.student-support-saas.gov.uk/student_support/special_circumstances/previous_assistance.htm

sorry!

melancholly

coffeenut wrote: »

Hi, Just joined this forum so hope you're still able to give advice? My daughter finished uni two years ago with an £18k debt. Since then the interest has averaged £80 a month - around another £2k. I rang the student loans company and they said there's nothing she can do to suspend the interest as 'she knew what she was doing when she signed up for it'! Can you advise?

she will only be paying back a fixed amount from her earnings - if she doesn't get a job, she won't pay it back. the terms are quite clear and hopefully she will have kept copies of all the paperwork (if not, get her onto the website as all the details from past years can be found on there). since now must be 23 or so if she graduated two years ago, i think she should now be the one ringing up the SLC about it. they shouldn't even be able to give you any specific advice about her situation as the loan is in her name!

maybe get her to read the article on student loans on the main site; it may change her opinion on how good a deal she's actually got! it's a huge chunk of money but it isn't like any commercial loan at all.

Taiko

Just a note, I won't be taking individual cases for the time being. If you do PM me, don't expect a reply straight away.

And if you do PM me, read what I'm telling you. I cannot break down things any more simple than I have done in some cases lately without having to resort to using sockpuppets and pepper pots.

dew301261

Hi
I'm not sure this query is within your scope but here goes. My daughter has completed an LLB law at Sheffield uni (3 years) supported by SLC. She is now at Manchester School of Law studying part time (2 yrs) for her LPC so she can apply for a training contract with a law firm. She tried for a Professional Development loan with Natwest but was declined:-( We paid her year one course fees 5K) She shares an apartment with 2 full time students (£350 pm) and she is the only one liable for council tax (£100 pm) She has a part time job with Debenhams (16 contracted hours pw) paying £400 pm. We obviously help her as much as we can but are there any benefits she may be able to claim to help her? It appears to me that her status is no longer regarded as 'student'. As you can imagine she is under considerable financial strain and trying to complete a demanding course of study. Any ideas? I wonder whether I should have posted this to a general benefits thread, apologies if this is the case.

Oldernotwiser

dew301261 wrote: »

Hi
I'm not sure this query is within your scope but here goes. My daughter has completed an LLB law at Sheffield uni (3 years) supported by SLC. She is now at Manchester School of Law studying part time (2 yrs) for her LPC so she can apply for a training contract with a law firm. She tried for a Professional Development loan with Natwest but was declined:-( We paid her year one course fees 5K) She shares an apartment with 2 full time students (£350 pm) and she is the only one liable for council tax (£100 pm) She has a part time job with Debenhams (16 contracted hours pw) paying £400 pm. We obviously help her as much as we can but are there any benefits she may be able to claim to help her? It appears to me that her status is no longer regarded as 'student'. As you can imagine she is under considerable financial strain and trying to complete a demanding course of study. Any ideas? I wonder whether I should have posted this to a general benefits thread, apologies if this is the case.

As she isn't a full time student, she can apply for help with her rent and council tax. If you put some figures into the benefits checker on

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

you'll be able to get some idea of what she could claim.

Taiko

It's also correct that she's not SLC funded, due to it being a non-designated course.

Just remember though, it's a property that is exempt from council tax, not an individual. If they've all chosen to stay together, they should have prepared for this.