Help With Student Loans - HERE!

Dunroamin

hardupharry wrote: »

I'm divorced and my daughter lived with my ex-wife until they had a big fall-out at Xmas so she's now moved in with me, almost certainly permanently. She started a 3-year degree course at Reading uni last September and for 2012/13 she ended up with a full grant & loan which my ex sorted out. It's now down to me to organise her finances for 2013/14 and I know NOTHING about it all so can you give me a clue where I start?

It isn't down to you to sort your daughter's finances out - it's her responsibility.

hardupharry

In theory, maybe, but that's not the way it works for her. I could say a lot more at this point but best if I don't, believe me - it's a "don't get me started" subject!

Anyway, I'll modify my question a bit - where do WE start?

Savvy_Sue

I don't know at what point students are reminded about re-doing their finance application, but I've had a text just last week from SFE reminding me to go online and do DS3's parental 'bits'.

I refuse to do this until he says he's done his bits. I also refuse to do it until he confirms that our income (which I'm happy to discuss with him) is under the limit to make a difference to him.

But you both start here. You, of course, won't yet have any login details, and I've no idea whether changing which parent is supporting her is a trivial thing for your daughter to deal with.

Good luck: I can't say I'm sorry this is the last year I'll ever have to do this, we've had enormous problems logging in every single year ...

duchy

Lucky you...we're still trying to get THIS year's finance sorted out. I thought it was bad when I was a mature student ....it's even worse now.
How difficult can it be -home student - first year of HE living at home with a mother who also has a registration number so everything at that end is already checked and verified

debtdawg

Does anyone know how Open University financial help affects normal university help?

DH took a 60 credit module with the OU, which is the equivilent of half a year of a standard degree. He is now going to study at University on a normal 3 year course - how will the OU course affect his entitlement to student finance? I.e. If he did a sandwich year so he had a years placement, therefore making his course a 4 year course, would he still receive financial help for the 4 years?

Dunroamin

debtdawg wrote: »

Does anyone know how Open University financial help affects normal university help?

DH took a 60 credit module with the OU, which is the equivilent of half a year of a standard degree. He is now going to study at University on a normal 3 year course - how will the OU course affect his entitlement to student finance? I.e. If he did a sandwich year so he had a years placement, therefore making his course a 4 year course, would he still receive financial help for the 4 years?

Funding is based on the number of years the course takes plus one, so he'll be fully funded.

debtdawg

Thanks

So even though he has had a partially funded year they'd still cover a 4 year degree (if one year is a placement year). I thought he'd only get 3 years total for some reason (i.e. the OU would count as a years funding).

Dunroamin

debtdawg wrote: »

Thanks

So even though he has had a partially funded year they'd still cover a 4 year degree (if one year is a placement year). I thought he'd only get 3 years total for some reason (i.e. the OU would count as a years funding).

If someone does a 3 year degree they're eligible for 4 years' funding, if they do a 4 year degree they're eligible for 5.

Bro_Brian

Hello and how are you. It would appear to me that you are the Guru on all matters Student Finance and may i please request your assistance. My name is Brian Makusha, 33 years old, with a wife and 2 chidren(7yrs old and 2yrs old). Wife and son(7) have Indefinite Leave to Remain, Daughter(2) is British and I have Discretionary Leave to Remain as a result of a Failed Asylum case for 3 yrs granted 12/01/2012. I haveve been despearately trying to go to University in attempts to rebuild my life after having been on asylum backlog since 2003.
I got a place at Swansea University last year(applied on 5 January 2012). However as i was living in England, when i got my papers and applied for Student Finance, the application went to SFE. It was turned down due to a change in their criteria as regards to Discretionary Leave. At the time my intention was to move to Wales(ie prior to applying for Uni). Home Office restrictions required me to sign on and reside at my address in Corby.

I did not know that there were different administration procedures to applying and so when i moved in with my Brother in Wales around April 2012, i updated my address details and SFE said i needed to apply to SFW. Which i did and was refused on the basis of not being able to prove my residence. And after many emails and phone calls to explain that i was living with my brother and living in Wales on a permanent basis while saving up money to get my own place etc. I failed to satisfy the Officer as i had no proof of address etc.

Now its 2013, I have worked and am settled, my kids are in school, i get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, so am registerd with the Council and have bills etc.And i want to reapply for Student Finance and hopefull go to University this coming September. Applications for Student Finance for 2013 have opened.
My question is can I apply without getting the previous decision affecting me, as they wrote to me concluding that "my residence in the UK throughout the 3 yr period immediately prior to the first day of the first academic year has been wholly and mainly for the purpose of recieving full time education"

May you please advise.

Kind regards

P2TKL

My son is in the process of filling in the application for student grant/loan. He has come to the question about parental finances and we are not sure whether this income includes interest from ISA's...can anyone help please ?