Help With Student Loans - HERE!

leather5

Good evening, I have previously posted here and would like some more advice please. My son has applied for his 1st year student finance on our 2011/2012 income, he has received the declaration for him to sign and send back with his bank details. We have had a fall in family income since the end of last year and now earn significantly less. We have the form to do the in year change of income but my question is does he sign the declaration for the amount they are offering now and then we do the change of income or does he hold on, we do the change of income and then he gets a new declaration with a larger amount on it. My real query I suppose is if he sends the form back now accepting the lower amount will he not get the greater amount when we update our details? Not sure that makes a lot of sense but hope you can help. Many thanks

Helix

The declaration is not signing for a particular amount of money, it is agreeing to the terms and conditions for the finance. The amount can be changed at any time, so he should sign the declaration and then you can complete the form for a current income assessment.

leather5

Thanks Helix , one son down, 2 to go, maybe I'll understand the whole system by the time number 3 goes to uni !

Dunroamin

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

The key question is not 'have you previously studied at a higher level', but 'did you receive whatever form of student support was available when you previously studied at a higher level'.

eg I did a degree a loooooong time ago in the days of means tested grants. I would not be eligible for student finance today. My friend had rich parents, and did not receive any student finance. She would be eligible for student finance today.

And if the degree is in a completely different field to the HND, I'm not really surprised the Uni want you to start from scratch. It wasn't unusual to do an HND and then convert it to a degree with a year or two of additional study 'back in my day', BUT it was usually in the same field, not a completely different one.

No idea about the chance of an appeal succeeding, but I'd suggest it was worth looking at all the available ways of entering teaching.

I know I won't see another thread, so answering here ...

I just wanted to say that I'm pretty sure that you're wrong about this as we've had plenty of people on here who've self funded but still been ineligible for student finance. Your friend might not have received maintenance funding but her parents wouldn't have paid the full cost of her degree fees so she too will have received (albeit indirectly) funding from the state.

Savvy_Sue

leather5 wrote: »

Thanks Helix , one son down, 2 to go, maybe I'll understand the whole system by the time number 3 goes to uni !

Unlikely, I've (almost) put 3 through, and something's been different each time ... :rotfl:

Dunroamin wrote: »

I just wanted to say that I'm pretty sure that you're wrong about this as we've had plenty of people on here who've self funded but still been ineligible for student finance. Your friend might not have received maintenance funding but her parents wouldn't have paid the full cost of her degree fees so she too will have received (albeit indirectly) funding from the state.

I did wonder about that as I typed, but it was an example of 'the key question' for that person: not 'have you previously studied' but 'have you previously had financial support' - which they have.

Dippypud

Is doing an intercalated degree such an unusual thing for SF to deal with ...

Our DS2 did an intercalated degree with a different Uni last year ... this year took up his Medical Degree again ...

SF lost the paperwork on the initial application, so he did an on-line application ...

They've sent letters asking for him to start paying his loans back -
he phones to explain - 'Oh OK, we'll deal with that' ...

Every time he chases the 'claim' - he gets put to the back of the 'queue' - he was told he could not have any monies ...

It's sooo confusing, he has had no money from SF for 9 months, just his NHS bursary ...
and we've one more year to go ... I may go mad before then...

devildog

Dippypud wrote: »

Is doing an intercalated degree such an unusual thing for SF to deal with ...

Our DS2 did an intercalated degree with a different Uni last year ... this year took up his Medical Degree again ...

SF lost the paperwork on the initial application, so he did an on-line application ...

They've sent letters asking for him to start paying his loans back -
he phones to explain - 'Oh OK, we'll deal with that' ...

Every time he chases the 'claim' - he gets put to the back of the 'queue' - he was told he could not have any monies ...

It's sooo confusing, he has had no money from SF for 9 months, just his NHS bursary ...
and we've one more year to go ... I may go mad before then...

Sounds about right for Student Finance!! Would it be worth submitting an official complaint??

Dippypud

devildog wrote: »

Sounds about right for Student Finance!! Would it be worth submitting an official complaint??

and how do we do that?

Can we do anything to pre-empt next years fiasco ?

Savvy_Sue

Dippypud wrote: »

and how do we do that?

Can we do anything to pre-empt next years fiasco ?

somewhere on their site there will be a 'contact us' box which is probably where the 'make a complaint' details will be.

You might want to write, setting out dates of contact and response. Put 'complaint' on the envelope and it should be removed from the general heap of mail and dealt with ...

There will be a 'customer charter' or something similar which will say how they handle complaints.

devildog

Dippypud wrote: »

and how do we do that?

Can we do anything to pre-empt next years fiasco ?

You can make a complaint in three ways:

- Phone: 0845 073 8908
- Email: customer_complaints@slc.co.uk
- Writing:
Customer Relations
Student Loans Company
100 Bothwell Street
Glasgow
G2 7JD

Please quote your Customer Reference Number in all correspondence. For security reasons please don't include bank details in your email

I've complained several times They usually look at it within about 2 weeks.