Help With Student Loans - HERE!

kyusho

I wonder if anyone can help (possibly Taiko). You helped me on here a few months back with a problem I was having registering as an independent student.

To recap incase you don't remember, in the previous academic year I built up a large amount of debt because student finance didn't pay my maintenance grant, which meant that I didn't get the bursary from my University which I am entitled to and rely on for living expenses. I ended up having to borrow money from relatives and heavily relied on my student overdraft and credit card facilities.

To update the story, student finance have backdated my maintenance grant (thanks for your help) which is a great help as I have been able to clear most of the debt I have on credit cards now (highest interest rate).

Do you know if it is possible to get my University bursary backdated also. Our bursary is paid automatically if you receive maintenance grant, but because student finance didn't pay mine for last year until now I didn't get it. Our University guidelines say that the bursary cannot be backdated for the previous year once the new academic year has started (which is has as of 2 weeks ago). Is this really the case though in circumstances such as mine in which I should have received a bursary, but didn't due to a long delay at student finance in processing my grant..

Any help greatly appreciated

Taiko

It's up to your university. If that's their policy, your only hope is to appeal to their goodnature, but don't expect to get any support I'm afraid.

kyusho

Thanks Taiko, the relevant guideline is a little vague. I enquired about the bursary before the specified date in 2.2, but as student finance completed my reassessment 2 weeks after the other deadline I assume it will be disregarded? Guidline 8.1 makes things even more unclear- as it says a bursary will be backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place (my review was instigated at the start of the 2010-11 academic year, but was only complete 3 days ago in the 2011-12 academic year)! Your interpretation (or anyone elses) of these guidlines woud be most welcomed.

" [FONT=&quot]2.2 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The deadline for enquiries to the Bursaries and Scholarships Information Service about bursary entitlement in 2010/2011 will be the last day of Semester 2, namely Friday 24 June 2011. The deadline for consideration by the University of any subsequent assessments or reassessments by local authorities or Student Finance England (or their equivalents in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales) following this date will be Friday 30 September 2011. Assessments or reassessments completed after this date will be disregarded. [/FONT]
"

[FONT=&quot]8.1 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]If an income assessment is subject to a review during the academic year as a result of an application by the student to Student Finance England (or equivalent), and the outcome confers eligibility for an award on the student, when an award had not been made previously, this award will be backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If as a result of an income review, the value of an existing award increases, an adjustment will be made backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place[/FONT]

Taiko wrote: »

It's up to your university. If that's their policy, your only hope is to appeal to their goodnature, but don't expect to get any support I'm afraid.

scarlet-pimpernel

When my appeal is sorted out I may be in a similar situation. It has been going on since 2009/10 year so 3 years of bursary of £800 at a year makes £2400, a huge amount for a student. My approach would be to claim it from SLC if it is their inefficiency which has led to a tardy or incorrect initial assessment. My son was promised a back dated payment for previous years if appropriate but has nothing in writing from his university.

Good luck.

Oldernotwiser

kyusho wrote: »

Thanks Taiko, the relevant guideline is a little vague. I enquired about the bursary before the specified date in 2.2, but as student finance completed my reassessment 2 weeks after the other deadline I assume it will be disregarded? Guidline 8.1 makes things even more unclear- as it says a bursary will be backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place (my review was instigated at the start of the 2010-11 academic year, but was only complete 3 days ago in the 2011-12 academic year)! Your interpretation (or anyone elses) of these guidlines woud be most welcomed.

" [FONT=&quot]2.2 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The deadline for enquiries to the Bursaries and Scholarships Information Service about bursary entitlement in 2010/2011 will be the last day of Semester 2, namely Friday 24 June 2011. The deadline for consideration by the University of any subsequent assessments or reassessments by local authorities or Student Finance England (or their equivalents in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales) following this date will be Friday 30 September 2011. Assessments or reassessments completed after this date will be disregarded. [/FONT]
"

[FONT=&quot]8.1 [/FONT][FONT=&quot]If an income assessment is subject to a review during the academic year as a result of an application by the student to Student Finance England (or equivalent), and the outcome confers eligibility for an award on the student, when an award had not been made previously, this award will be backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If as a result of an income review, the value of an existing award increases, an adjustment will be made backdated to the beginning of the academic year in which the review took place[/FONT]

Have you discussed this with your Students Union? You might have more chance of success with their support.

Taiko

Indeed. Bursaries are not something I can help with, as I do not know the policy of every single university.

ssmi

Hi there

I apologise in advance if any of the following is irrelevant but would appreciate your view.

My daughter is applying to unis to start sep/oct 2012. We are all British Citizens, have NI numbers, pay UK tax, have property and an address in the UK and always lived in the UK but for the past 10 years we have been living in Spain (although we are not officially resident) where my daughter attends an international school. We do make frequent trips back to the UK. We want to apply for tuition fee loans and maintenance grant/loan.

I think that this might apply to us:
You could also qualify for additional support on top of help with tuition fees if you're a new student who:

• was settled in the UK and ordinarily resident in England but left to exercise a right of residence elsewhere in the EEA or Switzerland, and
• is returning to the UK to start a course on or after 1 September 2008

Does it?

Also we have been sent a fee assessment questionnaire and are at a bit of a loss as to how to compete section B.


DETAILS ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESIDENCE
Country: ____________________________________ Town or region: __________________________________
When did your residence begin (DD/MM/YYYY)? _____________________
Purpose of residence: _________________________________________________________________________
Please give details of the country or countries in which you have been resident for the past THREE years:

Country of residence Date residence began Main reason for residence (e.g. living with family, work,
study)

Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.
If you would have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands or EEA during the last three years but for the fact that you, your parent, spouse/civil partner was temporarily working abroad, please attach details (including length of time spent abroad and the nature of the work).
If you believe that your entitlement to Home (UK/EU) fee status might depend on either (a) the immigration status, or (b) the residence history, of your parent, spouse or civil partner then please attach an extra sheet answering the questions of Sections A and B, and supplying the relevant evidence, in respect of that person.

I'm thinking of putting at the top current residence is Spain, starting in August when we last came back from UK. and for the table putting:

Country of Residence Date Reason

UK Various Living with family
Spain Various Study


What do you think.

Many thanks in advance

Taiko

ssmi wrote: »

Hi there

I apologise in advance if any of the following is irrelevant but would appreciate your view.

My daughter is applying to unis to start sep/oct 2012. We are all British Citizens, have NI numbers, pay UK tax, have property and an address in the UK and always lived in the UK but for the past 10 years we have been living in Spain (although we are not officially resident) where my daughter attends an international school. We do make frequent trips back to the UK. We want to apply for tuition fee loans and maintenance grant/loan.

I think that this might apply to us:
You could also qualify for additional support on top of help with tuition fees if you're a new student who:

• was settled in the UK and ordinarily resident in England but left to exercise a right of residence elsewhere in the EEA or Switzerland, and
• is returning to the UK to start a course on or after 1 September 2008

Does it?

Also we have been sent a fee assessment questionnaire and are at a bit of a loss as to how to compete section B.


DETAILS ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESIDENCE
Country: ____________________________________ Town or region: __________________________________
When did your residence begin (DD/MM/YYYY)? _____________________
Purpose of residence: _________________________________________________________________________
Please give details of the country or countries in which you have been resident for the past THREE years:

Country of residence Date residence began Main reason for residence (e.g. living with family, work,
study)

Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.
If you would have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands or EEA during the last three years but for the fact that you, your parent, spouse/civil partner was temporarily working abroad, please attach details (including length of time spent abroad and the nature of the work).
If you believe that your entitlement to Home (UK/EU) fee status might depend on either (a) the immigration status, or (b) the residence history, of your parent, spouse or civil partner then please attach an extra sheet answering the questions of Sections A and B, and supplying the relevant evidence, in respect of that person.

I'm thinking of putting at the top current residence is Spain, starting in August when we last came back from UK. and for the table putting:

Country of Residence Date Reason

UK Various Living with family
Spain Various Study


What do you think.

Many thanks in advance

Hi,

As long as you are resident on the first day of the first academic year, your daughter would be eligible for full support. This is because you are merely exercising your right to free movement within the EU.

ssmi

Taiko wrote: »

Hi,

As long as you are resident on the first day of the first academic year, your daughter would be eligible for full support. This is because you are merely exercising your right to free movement within the EU.

Many thanks. By 'resident' does this simply mean living at our UK address?

Taiko

It refers to just being back in the UK by the first day of the academic year, which is usually by the 1st September, unless the course starts in January.