Help With Student Loans - HERE!

MrsManda

obscure_eclipse wrote: »

Yet another plea for help please!
I've previously studied before (3 years BA), course started in September 2001 and I completed the first year (April 2002). In September 2002 I became very ill and suffered severe depression which put me on councilling and in receipt of anti-depressants and so I decided to take the year out and return in September 2003... come September 2003 I was still no better and decided to leave the course completely.

I'm in exactly the same position, I did a year, suspended a year then withdrew completely due to illness and now I'm planning on going back.
I am now waiting to hear back from my application to the SLC. I filled it in as a new student using my old account.

As you've only done one year of studying previously, providing you notified the SLC when you suspended then left your course, you (and me) should be entitled to student loans.
If you go to https://www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk you can fill out an estimated entitlement calculator. I did it putting in that I'd previously done 2 years of study and didn't get any maintance grant or fee loans but when I just put 1 year of previous study I got the full lot.
Fill in the forms, see what they say and if they kick up a fuss about you having already studied, ask for an appeal - can you get a doctor's note?
Good luck!

roxalana

Obscure eclipse - assuming the rules are the same as last year, one year of previous study would be ok, but I can't tell from your post whether it will be counted as 1 year or three! Potentially if you returned for just one day in the 2002/03 academic year & again in the 2003/04 year it would count as 3 years study... Your LEA will need to tell you how many years will be counted. If it is more than one then definitely ask about compelling personal reasons. however, even if it is 1 year I would recommend doing this in case you need to repeat a year in the future (although hopefully you won't!).

I would still recommend thinking seriously about if this is the right time to go to Uni given your finances. I'm not saying 'don't go - you can't afford it', but I do think you should way up the pros & cons of going this year vs going later.

Darkangel

Hi,

I'm writing on behalf of a friend. She has an old style loan (think she graduated around 1997-1999) and I don't think she owes a massive amount (unlike me who took out 4 student loans!) but the SLC have passed her details onto a debt recovery agency to get the outstanding balance off her.

She does freelancing work so does her own taxes etc. so it's not like most of us where it is deducted from our salary at the end of each month. She isn't working at the moment hence not making any repayments but I thought there wasn't a time limit on paying the loan back.

She's had the debt collectors threatening to send the bailiffs around and if she hasn't got anything of value then they would take her flatmate's stuff instead. The rather unhelpful woman also said that my friend can't be very good at her job if she can't pay back her loan! (which brought her to tears afterwards)

She called the SLC and they say it's out of their hands so out of desperation she has sent a cheque for £250 (which she can't really afford as she isn't working) to the debt collectors to try and appease them.

What should she do? Can the SLC pass your details onto debt collectors if they don't get their money? Should other freelancers be worried if they don't make regular repayments?

Sorry if the info is a bit vague, I haven't managed to get the full details from her yet.

emmalouise81_2

Hi. I could really do with some advice please.
Im near the end of my 3rd year but have been quite ill recently. I am waiting to hear If I can suspend my studies and restart next year as if It were the first time.

The problem is, I have done this before. I had a baby during examination period and failed 2 year.

So I have now received funding and my tution fee's for 4 years, would I be able to apply for a 5th year? (If im allowed to restart next year)

MrsManda

EmmaLouise,
You need to speak to your LEA and find out what their policy is. I'd also speak to your university. When I repeated my first year due to illness my university agreed to just pass my tuition fees from my first first year to cover my second first year so effectively I still had the funding for my four year course despite already having taken my first first year.


Good luck

emmalouise81_2

Thanks Mrsmanda.

Im still waiting to speak to admissions at uni but I shall make an appointment with LEA also.

thanks x

sarahbrown58

can i apply for a full student loan for this year soon to end now? i need it! and gonna ring monday, but wonder if there is any way to secure my full entitlement for this year so late on?

MrsManda

Sarah Brown,
If you look on the student finance website it says:
'Please note: The online application service for 07/08 has now closed. You may still apply using a paper application, and can download an application form from the Forms and Guides page. Alternatively you can get an application form by contacting your Local Authority.'

so you should be able to get it, though as applications for 08/09 are being sorted at the moment I'm not sure whether your LEA will rush yours through or just add it to the queue.

Helix

You can apply for loans for 07/08 upto 9 months after the start of your course. So you can but you have to do it on paper and you will need to get a move on.

cardiffforthefacup

obscure_eclipse wrote: »

Yet another plea for help please!

I've previously studied before (3 years BA), course started in September 2001 and I completed the first year (April 2002). In September 2002 I became very ill and suffered severe depression which put me on councilling and in receipt of anti-depressants and so I decided to take the year out and return in September 2003... come September 2003 I was still no better and decided to leave the course completely.

Now, here's the tricky part...

I have since decided to try and go back to Uni studying a different course (2 year Foundation Degree) and I was accepted - to start September 2008. I have contacted my LEA for information about funding but they have said I may not be entitled to any help towards tuition fees because I have studied before. It looks as though I may have to stump up the cash, ~£3100 for each year of study... Thats way beyond my means at the moment and I'm still £3000 in debt with the bank. Any ideas what I can do (apart from robbing a bank)?

I'm going to try and plea my case regarding my illness, hopefully they will be sympathetic and try and help me out.. Although I studied a BA(hons) I didnt get any qualifications from it so I'm not going backwards if you get my drift..

I'm tinkering with the idea of taking out a bank loan, this could prove remarkably difficult because as a student I'd be unable to work to meet the monthly repayments. I have been told I will be allowed the Maintenance Loan of ~£4500 and could in theory deduct the tuition fees from that... but how do you survive on a full time course with only £1500 for the year?

My heart feels very heavy today... Infact.. I'm gutted.. I've found the perfect course for me and cannot think of a way to fund it.

If you haven't already I suggest you go to the finance office of the university in question, they may be able to help you as you will need to pay your tuition fees out of the maintenance loan. As you didn't pass the first year of your BA you should be able to get funding for a further course at that level, however if the foundation course is at the same or lower level you won't get any. If you are on incapacity benefit you should be able to maintain this while you study for about six months. There are ways of doing this if you have the will and determination, I struggled financially but I decided that this was more important than material matters and learned to live on the bare, bare minimums. Worthwhile if you believe you can do it, you can find sources of help. The finance department will be able to tell you what you are entitled too