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

Danyúl_II

I got a letter today after applying on Monday, £1400. Thanks very much, Leeds Uni!

I would definitely recommend anybody at uni to apply for this - and make sure on your form your outgoings way outnumber your incomings.. therefore you'll hopefully get awarded a good sum like I did. x

Kiyo

I've applied to my uni but haven't heard back for weeks. I'm hoping that no news is good news or this is going to be a desparate year.

I've just asked to have my phone and TV disconnected. Broadband will most likely have to go to as Virgin are going to charge me £25 just for the Broadband by itself. Then I'll have to seriously consider getting the gas and electric cut off if things don't get better.

I will be feel especially sick inside if I am turned down, not only because I only have one year to go before I graduate but also because I know of people who have received thousands of pounds when they have also had parental support as well and have blown the money on clothes, alcohol and going out.

I have nothing to fall back on. I feel so isolated at my uni because most of the people I know there are going off on holidays over summer, driving cars and carrying around Blackberrys while I don't even know if I will be able to afford to eat over the summer

lazystudent63

I'm a postgraduate student and up until this point I'd been told that unless I had already taken out a career development loan (which I'm not prepared to do), I can't apply to the Access to Learning fund. Has anyone else heard this? If this doesn't seem to be true, then I'm going to see if I can apply as I'm at my overdraft limit and struggling.

Greyandfawn

lazystudent63 wrote: »

I'm a postgraduate student and up until this point I'd been told that unless I had already taken out a career development loan (which I'm not prepared to do), I can't apply to the Access to Learning fund. Has anyone else heard this? If this doesn't seem to be true, then I'm going to see if I can apply as I'm at my overdraft limit and struggling.

Post-graduate students have to show that they have made 'reasonable provision' to fund their fees and living costs before they can apply to ALF; the most common source of which is a CDL. This is because ALF is not a primary source of income, but means-tested support. Maybe you could show them proof of what provision you have made?

Kiyo

I should be revising but all I can do is cry. I have been awarded £400.

I still haven't heard from any of the jobs I've applied for. I want to revise but I'm going to have to spend today job hunting/filling out forms again.

I'm definitely going to have to get the gas, electricity, insurance and broadband cancelled now and don't know how I will be able to pay the rent or water either. I don't know what to do, my home phone cancellation will be completed at the end of the month so I need to keep my mobile phone as it will be my only way of communicating with potential employers but at the same time I can no longer afford £10 to pay for it

Is it possible to reapply to the ALF or appeal a decision?

claire6hy

at our college you can apply once per semester

Kiyo

claire6hy wrote: »

at our college you can apply once per semester

I applied last semester but it's taken them this long to reply. Does that mean I can apply in the coming semester after the easter break to then?

claire6hy

give it a shot n keep chasin thm up

Danyúl_II

Kiyo wrote: »

I should be revising but all I can do is cry. I have been awarded £400.

I still haven't heard from any of the jobs I've applied for. I want to revise but I'm going to have to spend today job hunting/filling out forms again.

I'm definitely going to have to get the gas, electricity, insurance and broadband cancelled now and don't know how I will be able to pay the rent or water either. I don't know what to do, my home phone cancellation will be completed at the end of the month so I need to keep my mobile phone as it will be my only way of communicating with potential employers but at the same time I can no longer afford £10 to pay for it

Is it possible to reapply to the ALF or appeal a decision?

I feel really sorry for you. Did you fill the form in correctly?

Just seems unbelievable that you have been awarded so little when your situation seems to dire. Do you get full loan? Grant?

Did you apply for the ALF really late in the term or something?

Chin up.

Trent1

I have started a PhD at York St John - I have no bursary but was told there would be plenty of teaching. Having moved up there, paid for 2/3 of year out of my last savings etc, they now tell me there is no money left for teaching. I applied to the ALF. They have given me £1500 from other funds, but say that even though I have absolutely no income and have to pay rent, bills etc etc, the way the government set the rules I actually come out as having surplus!! and am not entitltled to anything from the ALF.

Is that correct? Sounds barmy to me. I mean, who apart from someone with no income whatsoever is then entitled to it?? I am really confused. I went to see them and they said the government assume every student gets £150 per week and every student only has around £60 expenses per week including rent and everything, so even before you fill in the form you have a surplus of cash. But that just sounds insane. In other words, they say you have to have loads of debt already before you can apply. Is that true? Or should I appeal?