Help With Student Loans - HERE!

Ed-1

Feyfangirl wrote: »

you are a star! thank you so very much! do they need to both fill in one form or is it one they need to do seperately?

Both parents need to fill in the same PFF2 form (it has 2 columns).

Feyfangirl

Ed-1 wrote: »

Both parents need to fill in the same PFF2 form (it has 2 columns).

ahh perfect!

diddldonna

i am after some advice, I am trying to work out how much finance I will get via student calculator. I am confused what to put on the page that says living with parents, not living with parents. I am a mature student living with my husband, what do I click on?

Starrystarrynight1

Is there not an 'own home' option? That would seem to be more appropriate. If not, then I'd go with 'not living with parents' as that shouldn't change the entitlement.

diddldonna

No there is no own home option

Starrystarrynight1

I'd just go with the 'not living with parents' option in that case.

ttarp2588

Hi all, new user here!

Kind of stressing over my tuition fee loans and my course is due to start soon, would anyone be willing to look over my appeal draft if I PM it and offer any advice on any changes I should make and the likelihood of it being successful?

Input would be greatly appreciated as I've never wrote a complaint or appeal letter before.

Thanks!

Ed-1

ttarp2588 wrote: »

Hi all, new user here!

Kind of stressing over my tuition fee loans and my course is due to start soon, would anyone be willing to look over my appeal draft if I PM it and offer any advice on any changes I should make and the likelihood of it being successful?

Input would be greatly appreciated as I've never wrote a complaint or appeal letter before.

Thanks!

What are you appealing against? Refusal of a tuition fee loan?

What are your grounds for appeal? They can only overturn the decision if the assessment is wrong and the regulations are clear on who can get a tuition fee loan.

ttarp2588

thanks for replying so quick, iv messaged you the details :beer:

Ed-1

ttarp2588 wrote: »

thanks for replying so quick, iv messaged you the details :beer:

The regulations (The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011) state:

[Regulation 12(1)] A "previous course" where the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009 is—
(i) a lower level qualification achieved following a full-time or part-time higher education course, a course for the initial training of teachers or a course designated under regulation 5(10), which the student attended or, in the case of a compressed degree course or a designated distance learning course, undertook before the current course...

[Regulation 21] Where a student has studied on a previous course other than one mentioned in paragraph 2, 3 or 4 of schedule 2 and does not hold an equivalent or lower qualification is eligible for funding for the ordinary duration of the course + 1 - number of academic years spent on a previous course.

A Certificate of Higher Education is number 4 of schedule 2 so regulation 22 (not 21) applies to you and the previous course is called a "preliminary course".

[Regulation 22] Paragraph (2)(b) states that in your case, entitlement to funding for a full-time first degree course that is not taken immediately after achieving a qualification of a Certificate of Higher Education is calculated as follows:

D + X - PrC

D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course

X is—
1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course (or preliminary courses in total) was less than three years,
2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course (or preliminary courses in total) was three years,
3 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course (or preliminary courses in total) was four years,
4 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course (or preliminary courses in total) was five years, and
5 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course (or preliminary courses in total) was six years

PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on preliminary courses excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

Assuming your BSc that you want to do is 3 years, D=3.

X=1 assuming this was the ordinary duration of your preliminary course ended up being a 1 year course for the Certificate of Higher Education.

PrC = 1 as you only studied 1 academic year on preliminary courses.

Now unless I've interpreted the regulations wrongly at some point, your entitlement to funding for a full-time first degree course should be 3+1-1 = 3 years. So you appear to be right in that Student Finance England have wrongly denied you a tuition fee loan for your first year.

If you are taking the new course immediately after (disregarding any intervening vacation) the Certificate of Higher Education then it would appear that you don't fall within regulation 22, and it's regulation 21 that applies, which results in the same entitlement (ordinary duration of new course is 3, + 1, - 1 year spent on previous course = 3 years entitlement).

You may want to mention some of these points directly referring to the student support regulations in your appeal as it's these regulations that they will base their decision on.

The crucial thing is: did you gain your exit qualification (Certificate of Higher Education) in academic year 2015/16 (and so definitely weren't on the course on the first day of the next academic year) or did you gain your exit qualification after the second academic year of the course had started?