Help With Student Loans - HERE!

ReleaseTheStars

Hi there,

I'd really appreciate some help on this.

In 2007/2008 I completed a year of study at my local University. I lived at home, so didn't take any loans/grants except for tuition fees.

I'm now intending to take a year out, and then apply for a different course at a different university to start in 2009.

My question is about the loan household income boundaries - as they've changed it to £60,000 maximum now, will these new boundaries apply to me? Or will I still be counted in the old system of up to £38000?

I'm planning on moving to London to study, so will need as much help as possible - doubt I could afford to study with the support provided on the old boundaries.

Thanks a lot.

Oldernotwiser

bluejelli wrote: »

my twins are hoping to do B,ED teacher training next sept. I have been wading through infor about their entitlements to grants and bursaries etc. It seems to me we would be financially better off if i gave up my job as a T.A. to lower our household income. with two of them going at the sametime would we get 2 lots of grants etc. Does the wages the girls themselves earn count as part of household income? It is baffling! thanks in advance

Students' earned income doesn't count as household income or affect their eligibility for grants. I can't see how you would be better off by giving up your job, although your twins might be. You need to also consider the effect that a period of unemployment might have on your future career(and pension) compared with any short term benefits over the next four years.

mikehart1

Hi I will be starting my second year at university in september and whilst at uni in my first year I found out from several people that there are additional grants and support benefits that arn't openly mentioned by the SLC. For example grants are available to students who are the first in their family to go to university and also to students who are the eldest child. Firstly Is this information correct and also can you advise me of any additional support available other than the maintainence loan/grant.

kind regards,
mike

stockwell_2

This is possibly going to sound silly, and I'm afraid it is - however, I shall describe the position I'm in, and see what you make of it.

I went to uni in 98-01, and had a student loan as part of this for the first 2 academic years of the three year course.

When I graduated I was not earning enough to start paying it back automatically under PAYE as I was only working a 50% hours job, and it wasn't that well paid anyway.

I then moved to a new job, where my employers (as I understand it) should have ensured that my paymnets started. I asked them to do this at the time, and also followed up with several calls to the Student Loans Company following that to which I was always told my employers needed to start doing it.

A good few years down the line and it's still never started being repaid, but to be quite honest, I have been lazy to the problem because the interest I have been paying on it has always been lower than either a) the debts I was in, or now b) thankfully the interest I receive on savings/the interest I pay on my mortgage.

Not sure what I should do from this point. I now have the cash that I could pay it back at this stage, but it would be a shock to the system to suddenly find I had to pay back 6years of repayments in one go, so Ive been reluctant to raise the issue again over the last couple of years.

Anyone know how it would stand if they finally took seriously that I've not been repaying it (despite the fact that Ive asked them on three occasions in the past to look into it). Woudl they just start taking normal contributions or ask for a massive lump sum?

Im keen to do something about this, but also want to know how it all works.

Anyone able to offer any insight?

Titch89

What is the difference between the special support grant and maintenance grant, and how do I know which one I'm entitled to?

dmg24

Titch89 wrote: »

What is the difference between the special support grant and maintenance grant, and how do I know which one I'm entitled to?

Google is your friend ...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/FinanceForNewStudents/DG_069894

ChocolateMonkey

Neato wrote: »

I've forgot to submit my SLC forms!
Whats the chances of getting my loans on time ?

In my second year I didnt submit my finance forms till very late in the year, I think it was september-ish. I couldnt pay my fee's for about a month due to the wait but the uni were fine and just kept me on tempoary access till I paid. I think I heard about my finance stuff and got my loan in october/november.

I've missed the deadline again this year even with all good intensions of not missing it.:mad:
I'm trying to become independantly assessed but am still waiting to receive documents from the data dept at the tax office. They said 10 days, it's now nearly 2 weeks and I have no idea how to chase it.

rose28454

Can you help. My daughter has just finished year 1 of a fashion and marketing degree at The London College of Fashion. It is an online degree and she had to fight really hard to get any funding. She had applied for an an ordinary student loan and as she had not applied in time I paid £550 deposit when she started last Spetmeber. She was then told that although the Uni charges full time fees the course was recognised as part time for funding! However the Uni had not had the course recognised for funding at all. Despite many calls to the Uni and the LEA no progress was made until I wrote to our MP and finally in November the Uni got it recognised and she got a part time grant of £250.00 and £1050 paid of her fees. At the same time the Uni assessed her and found she is severely dyslexic. This meant she could apply for funding for a new computer and special software to help with her course. This took till May but she finally has it.
She still had the problem of paying the rest of her fees but the Uni said to send in her notification saying what fees the LEA were paying and we were led to beleive the Uni would top up the fees so she had no more to pay. At the same time she applied for an Access to Learning grant as she had to give up her part time job to concentrate on her studies.
I called last week to ask why we had not heard about any of this and was told that although the course is set up as a full time course by the Uni it is onlt recognised as part time by the Education Authority and therefore she does not qualify for help with fees. They also said she does not qualify for any Access to Learnind fund help either.
I am just seperated from my husband and am having severe financial difficulties and can do without any more money battles.
When I first contacted the Uni at the start of her course I was told by somebody quite senior that he though the fees were too high. My daughter feels cheated by the Education Authorities as she had reading difficulties from late Primary to early Senior school and we were constantly told it was not dyslexia. She has suffered from Anexoria for the last year and this is mainly why she is doing her course online. If she went to London and did the course at the Uni then she would get a full time loan for fees and living expenses.
Accordiing to the Direct.gov website she can apply for Access to learning for help but they say no. Where can we go from here or does she have to give up her studies due this lack of funding??

surfsister

bluejelli wrote: »

my twins are hoping to do B,ED teacher training next sept. I have been wading through infor about their entitlements to grants and bursaries etc. It seems to me we would be financially better off if i gave up my job as a T.A. to lower our household income. with two of them going at the sametime would we get 2 lots of grants etc. Does the wages the girls themselves earn count as part of household income? It is baffling! thanks in advance

The entitlement for sep 09 will be based on earnings for parents in previous tax year so you would have to be quick if you wanted to reduce your income.

Here are some of the details: up to 25k get £2.800 grant
up to £30k get £2,000 grant
up to 35,450 get £1260

Lots of details on the website mentioned below www.direct.gov.uk

Also the parents savings are taking into account as income eg the interest earned and any rental income etc.

Worth getting all the info and reading up on it. Somewhere you can enter all your details and work it out. If you get the full amount the uni also add a bursary from £500 up to £1300 whcih the child keeps.

Good luck

Titch89

if you have more than one child at uni, the SLC take a certain amount (no idea what) off the amount you say you earn.