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

HopeAndDriftWood

Did you expect them to pay off your debts for you?
I appreciate that from what you've said you really do need some help, but to email back and ask if it is a mistake?
Thats £130, if you don't need it, there will be plenty of other students that do.

glennplant

don't be so patronising saucy, YESSS i honestly expected them to say "you know what Glenn, sod doing your claim properly heres a cheque for £3500, just come back if you need some more next week"

if you actually fully read any of my posts over the last few days you'd have seen that i am facing unforeseen circumstances, have lost my job through no fault of my own and no i am not expecting them to pay my debts off however i was expecting a bit more than £130 (£100 being the lowest amount possible) and i know they have paid thousands out to jumped up 18 year old's who have blown all their money on alcopops and drugs at the local club nights and in my opinion dont deserve a penny.

dmg24

As you have already been advised glennplant, your student finance should have lasted you much longer than it has, irrespective of what you deem to be special circumstances.

Most people would be grateful for what they have been given.

superdudeo

I would just like to add my experience with the ALF. After speaking with other people on my course I decided to apply to the ALF to see if they could help me. I have no special circumstances and have been awarded all support from the SLC including the maintanance grant. Even so, I am in far more financial difficulty than other people who have been awarded vast sums on my course. I got a letter yesterday from the ALF and was denied help. I am not bitter but I would like to express how unfair the ALF system is.

After reading some posts on here that the ALF is for people in real trouble who have lost their job or find themselves in huge debt I wholeheartly disagree on the ALF giving money to these people. The only people who deserve access to these fund are people unable to work through disability and for child care costs for single parents. Just because someone has lost their job does not mean that they should be treated special..big deal you've lost your job..get another one. Anyone can get a job and I mean ANYONE. Whether it's cleaning or bar work, the argument doesn't stand. As for people with debt, the ALF penialises people without debt...where's the logic in that? It's your own fault if you get in debt, live with the consequences. I'll be racking up a debt on my credit cards now so I can apply next year.

Before you read my next point, I will preemptively say that I am in no way being racist. An African who is on my course has been awarded £2000 from the ALF and he earns £20k a year. He told the ALF that he earns this. So even though my parents have contributed to the UK tax system for 60 odd years, someone who has been in the UK for only a few years gets awarded the ALF and I don't? It's grossly unfair.

My final point is that someone who has accommodation costs of say £500 or more a month will be far more likely to get help from the ALF than someone who lives in a modest houseshare or similar. Once again, you choose to live in a nice place and it's the person who lives modestly that gets penialised.

I understand that the ALF is for people in trouble but when other people are getting awarded vast sums who are in a better position than you, there is something wrong with the system. Rant over.

melancholly

superdudeo wrote: »

Before you read my next point, I will preemptively say that I am in no way being racist. An African who is on my course has been awarded £2000 from the ALF and he earns £20k a year. He told the ALF that he earns this. So even though my parents have contributed to the UK tax system for 60 odd years, someone who has been in the UK for only a few years gets awarded the ALF and I don't? It's grossly unfair..

not racist, but maybe xenophobic?!

all i can say is that if you haven't seen his application or his bank accounts, you can't judge it..... most people aren't entirely honest about their finances when discussing it with friends so take it all with a pinch of salt.

they have limited funds and only give the money to people who fit their criteria. no-one should assume that it's guaranteed........ there is no completely fair system - that's just life, unfortunately!

GEEGEE8

How do you actually apply for this though?

I've applied for student finance and been awarded the maximum, so how do I apply for this?

GEEGEE8

How to apply

You normally apply through the student services department at your university or college, after you start your course. They will tell you exactly what information you need to supply, but be ready to provide:

• a copy of the letter from Student Finance England showing how much you will get through the standard student finance package
• documents showing your financial situation, such as bank statements and details of rent

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Extrahelp/DG_171615

FOUND IT ~!

student_advisor

please only apply next year if you are desperate for additional funding - we are facing cuts in budgets and will not be able to help as many students over the next year...

Fang_3

student_advisor wrote: »

please only apply next year if you are desperate for additional funding - we are facing cuts in budgets and will not be able to help as many students over the next year...

I'm confused, surely the money should go to those in greatest hardship rather than a first come, first served free for all?

GEEGEE8

Thank you Fang,. I thought I had missed the point when I read that post yesterday.

How can someone ask for me not to apply when surely I have as much right as anybody if I'm going to be facing hardship.