Earn upto £3,500 for 30 minutes work!!! 'Access to Learning Fund'

somner

At the moment I'm currently staying with my girlfriends mum. I am paying rent (£150 a Month) but thats all, no bills. Also I need to buy a student bus/train pass which will cost me £160 a term. Other than that I have a two student overdrafts (is it wise to declare I have two?) that are maxed out and I have a credit card that has been used a fair whack. I'm in the process of the paying the credit card off £20 a month. The reason for all this spending is largely down to Accommodation Services being !!!!!!!s last year and not allowing me to finish my contract early, despite personal circumstances. I've now paid a debt off to them off £530 not to mention the hundreds of pounds I had given then but not actually used my room! Is it wise to declare I have two student overdraufts maxed out or should I just tell them about one?

I receive £4600 student loan and £186 HE grant. I am first year (BA), however due to doing a course last year and transfering this year I am still on the old finance system. My tuition fees are £1200 a year and fully paid for by my LEA.
Do you think I would be able to receive much, if anything?

My girlfriend is buying a house in the next few months (outright - cash, from inheritance). As we are both 19 and apparently still 'dependant' (although her father is dead and her mother does not support her) we don't qualify as being partners, which is fair enough. I also guess this means we are financially seperate from one another in the eyes of the University?

Instead, is it worth me waiting until she has bought a house? At which time I will be paying bills, however no rent.

davsidipp

hi on this form they ask for gas and elect costs. how can you put down an amount before you have used it.also my son had to come home in june as he was out of money i had not heard of alf.i applied in august told now closed no retrospect payments or any other help.surely you only know you need help at the end when in financial trouble.with regards these forms should the uni target people who do not pay as these are more likely to comply with criteria.

robhammond

Hi All,

Firstly apologies for the long delay in responding to your posts recently, I've just returned from my holiday & moved house so things have been hectic!

Right down to business...

Zziggi "Do you just apply to the ALF once a year? or can you apply each semester."

As a rule I would apply sooner rather than later. You may be rejected earlier in the academic year as they are usually pretty strict to ensure the priorty cases recieve funding first but like I've mentioned before they relax the criteria a little in the later parts of the year.
Also once you have applied, regardless of if you are awarded or declined, you can re-apply through the appeals process if your circumstances change or you require more money.


Dreaming "people who have to work their !!!!!! off should get something too"
Indeed they do, you have to approach the situation from a 'proactive' rather than 'reactive' stance in your application i.e. that you are trying to prevent debt than be bailed out from it. I would explain that you and your family work hard to keep your heads above water but whilst studying this will have a significant impact on your household earnings and merits support.

Also see my comments below regarding assumed income and expenditure....

somner "I have a two student overdrafts (is it wise to declare I have two?)"

Yes - declare every penny of debt you have.

"Do you think I would be able to receive much, if anything?"

Without knowing all the details of your case I couldn't comment. I would advise speaking to your local advisor.

"I also guess this means we are financially seperate from one another in the eyes of the University?"

If you split share a bank account etc then your are financially co-dependant. However if you do keep all your finances completely seperate then yes you are technically seperate.

davsidipp "how can you put down an amount before you have used it?" The ALF assumes a basic living costs known as 'composite living cost' based on your student status, parental & other dependants status. It covers all utility bills, food & clothing and is a predetermined calculation. It is done so that it doesn't reward students who CHOOSE to have expensive lifestyles. It wouldn't matter whether a student had spent £50 more or less a week than the assumed rate - it would remain the same on the application.

It is similar with earnings, if a student earns £200 a week in a part time job, great good for them, but they shouldn't be peanalised for it. It does not have to be declared as the ALF assumes an income based on what a student can 'reasonably' be expected to earn with a part-time job or summer work. There are exceptions for some intensive courses where getting a job is not an option due to placements or the studys continuing in the summer months, e.g. some NHS/Medical courses [that is why they also offer bursaries on these courses].

In both income & expenditure cases I advise reading the guidance clearly so not to overstate your income or understate your expenditure.

"i applied in august told now closed no retrospect payments or any other help"

That is correct. Once the academic year ends (i.e. after results are published) the fund is closed for that year and an interim fund is in place aka the 'Summer Fund'. However the Summer Fund is for financial help for the summer weeks only.
Once the ALF reopens in the new academic year, you can recieve help for any bills, rent, childcare etc retrospectively. i.e. If you applied in March they can backdate entiltlement to September if neccessary but only for that academic year.

I hope that all makes sense.

Good Luck & ensure you tell other people about the fund. Not enough students know and sometimes they find out too late like your son.

Rob

guerillasaver

Cheers Robhammond, appreciate the help you're giving here.

guerillasaver

hey again, I think I'm going to have to apply for this. I have a substantial loan from Ireland, should I declare this? (Im studying in Scotland, living here for 3 years) thanks.

Crispy_Ambulance

You need to put everything down on the form. You will probably need to provide evidence as well - make sure it all goes in with your initial application as if they have to write out to you for more information, it will delay the processing.

preciousb

Hi guys, ive been a long time viewer of the forum. First time poster. Am currently a student and i recieved the ALF last year. I recieved £800 for my first year. Am now a second year and find myself still struggling genuinely for university. It is so bad i resorted to betting on betfair with a lot of betfair funds leaving my account and showing on my statement.

So my question is, if it shows on my statement will they regard this and sieng me as a gambler? or should i explain those bets as a desperate attempt to gain some money. Thank you in advance for replies

coolcam7

Many thanks for this thread. I have been to see an advisor and according to their calculations I will be eligible for a grant from the ALF. However at the time I did not mention that I have around £10,000 of savings. I don't want to actually touch this money while I'm at university but how will it affect my chances of getting a grant? If I don't declare it will they be able to find out about the account? I don't want to be dishonest but this is money which I have inherited from a relative and I want to save it to put down as a deposit on a house after I leave uni or incase I can't get a job straightaway. I'd be really grateful to anyone who can give some answers!

Snow_Angel

coolcam7 wrote:

Many thanks for this thread. I have been to see an advisor and according to their calculations I will be eligible for a grant from the ALF. However at the time I did not mention that I have around £10,000 of savings. I don't want to actually touch this money while I'm at university but how will it affect my chances of getting a grant? If I don't declare it will they be able to find out about the account? I don't want to be dishonest but this is money which I have inherited from a relative and I want to save it to put down as a deposit on a house after I leave uni or incase I can't get a job straightaway. I'd be really grateful to anyone who can give some answers!

You're supposed to declare EVERYTHING! Yes, according to their calculations you're eligible .... but only because you gave false information. No offence, but you're not in genuine need. You have £10,000. Wouldn't we all love to have that sitting in a bank account for a house deposit for when we finish uni? Leave the ALF for people who are genuinely desperate. You are not.

c1985

Hi, I was wondering if you are able to apply without being in one of the high eligibility classes? I am curently in my final year and am a bit worried about my finances. My parents are helping me out with food and I am using my loan to pay my rent however even with my loan I am well into my overdraft and I'm concerned that what I have left won't cover all my expenses (rent, books, bills etc). One of the main problems is the distribution of my loan - 1/3 of it came at the end of sept,then 1/3 will be at the end of january and another at the start of march. This doesn't really work as the 2nd and 3rd amounts only have to cover a short amount of time compared to the 4 months covered by the first loan! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!:)