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

adidas

I have a few questions with regards to filling out the ALF form....

1) I have several bank accounts (student and current), do I need to provide bank statements for all of my accounts?

2) It says "net earnings", at the moment I only work during vacation time, do I divide these earnings into a per week or declare them under other income?

3) I have an ISA and shares also. Do I need to include my ISA/shares statement?

4) Where it says "travel from home to instution"...does this mean from my term time address to university?

5) Lately, I've been having alot of car problems and I've had to pay out alot of money to fix my car which I need to travel, as I'm a medical student and I'm on placement. Can I include this in my supporting statement?

Thanks

Impet_Limpet

absolutley, put everything in to explain why you need the money including placement expenses

best to include all bank accounts too

adidas

Martine 1081 -

It's a shame you cannot apply for the fund, I take it your union must have advised you about this. Alot of the posts on here say "you might as well give it try" - so not sure whether you will decide to apply anyway.

Lady_K -

I'm no expert but what you have described constitutes fraud. I would report the girl in question, it's unfair if she is claiming twice for something that didn't even happen to her! Or just make sure she doesn't get hold of the crime ref number in the first place.

Impet_Limpet

adidas wrote:

Martine 1081 -

It's a shame you cannot apply for the fund, I take it your union must have advised you about this. Alot of the posts on here say "you might as well give it try" - so not sure whether you will decide to apply anyway.

I went to the "i" at university (its basically where all helpful services are located in one place) and they sent me to the ALF desk, after he put in the number £588 p/m and then minused my rent and the gov't amount of cost of living at (£47) he said I couldn't apply. I'm a bit confused because he didn't take into account anything related to mature part time student living eg council tax/car running costs/loans/pension etc etc. I qualify for full fee support due to my low income so I don't understand why the ALF is any different? So i can't apply because the person you get the forms from says I don't even qualify

I may look at when I'm next in uni and see if somebody else is there and try again.

I then went to the Student union how advised I default on my bank account which I think will be awful for my credit record

brains

I was thinking of applying for this but I'm not sure if I will be eligible. The main reason been that I have a savings account with £2,500 in it. Before I went to university I was very careful with my money and always put money to one side out of my monthly salary, whilst most of my friends just got their whole wage and spent it all. This savings account was to pay for a deposit on a house, but I decided on a change of career path. I now go to University and my moneysaving head is no longer screwed on. I have spent money from my savings account but I have promised to keep it at £2500 to use towards a car when I'm finished Uni. I am also around £400 overdrawn with an O/D of £1,400. I do of course get worried about leaving uni with masses of debt and I don't really like "maxing" my O/D out each term. But I have a feeling the people looking at the form will just think i'm crazy and that my overdraft is there "to be used". Is this a common misconception? Has anyone ever applied with similar circumstances and received any ALF funding? Thanks for any advice.

dalumsden1

I have savings but want the poverty loan.

adidas

dalumsden1 not sure about that...I have been trying to find out more about declaring savings and emailed the lady in charge at my uni, she said "refer to the guidance notes" which I've done already!! She's been about as helpful as a lump of wood lol. I'll let you know if I find out any more info....and good luck if you apply.

hebangsthedrums

Brains and dalumsden:

Sorry to sound harsh but if you have savings should you really be applying for the fund? From what i have read elsewhere in the thread, and looking at my own situation, most people who apply have no other option really - its apply or get a loan/drop out. If you have several thousand in savings then I think they will see this as money that can be used rather than 'oh that money is set aside for a car so we need to discount that'.

brains wrote:

. I am also around £400 overdrawn with an O/D of £1,400. I do of course get worried about leaving uni with masses of debt and I don't really like "maxing" my O/D out each term. But I have a feeling the people looking at the form will just think i'm crazy and that my overdraft is there "to be used". Is this a common misconception? Has anyone ever applied with similar circumstances and received any ALF funding? Thanks for any advice.

Again, may just be me but i dont think this is a misconception. The OD money is there to be used, that is the reason student accounts come with it - the banks realise students will be hard up so give them a buffer hoping the student will remain loyal when they go into the working world. Once more, if you are not maxing out your OD do you really need the money that much.

Finally - dalumsden - what you mention about giving the money to your parents may help your application be successful but ultimately its not really ethical. You would be deceiving the uni into thinking you have x amount when really you have x amount + the money your parents are looking after.

Sorry if I seem harsh guys - I dont mean any offence, but i think the fund is for students who are pretty much stuck. You guys dont really sound that desperate - not saying you aren't - maybe ive just read your posts wrong

dalumsden1

hebangsthedrums wrote:

Brains and dalumsden:

Sorry to sound harsh but if you have savings should you really be applying for the fund? From what i have read elsewhere in the thread, and looking at my own situation, most people who apply have no other option really - its apply or get a loan/drop out. If you have several thousand in savings then I think they will see this as money that can be used rather than 'oh that money is set aside for a car so we need to discount that'.

I understand your point but I feel it would be benificial for me to apply. What I'm hoping to do is give all my savings to my parents and that means they can pay off their mortgage cheaper and then in a few year they will pay me back in the money plus inflation in the form of a house deposit or something. They won't help me at uni and I don't understand how people who don't take a gap year to work can get this and those who have worked really hard to get savings lose out.

If I don't get it, or feel it's wrong to apply, I will certainly have to work and use these savings and my course will be one of the toughest around so doesn't need the added pressure of a job.

I'm not trying to make this sound 'right' as I won't be in theoretical 'poverty' but I would rather not be there 2 years after starting my course when it really gets hard and I've used up any emergency money I had.

Have a good day. dalumsden1

brains

hebangsthedrums wrote:

Brains and dalumsden:

Sorry if I seem harsh guys - I dont mean any offence, but i think the fund is for students who are pretty much stuck. You guys dont really sound that desperate - not saying you aren't - maybe ive just read your posts wrong

The reason I want to apply is because I've spent about half of my savings since I came to Uni. I don't want to spend anymore of it because I feel it's been wasted.

Why should I not be allowed to apply for the fund because I have tried to be sensible with my money and not had a car since I came to Uni or been on a summer holiday. But my mate who has maxed his O/D and has a credit card should be allowed the fund, when he has had a car and been on holiday the last 2 summers running.

I hope you can see from my angle and I don't just look greedy.:T But I'm thinking I won't get anything anyway so I don't think i'm goin to bother applying.