Gap year students and fees

JollyNolly

Does anyone here know their way around the rules for which students count as gap year students and therefore don't have to pay fees? I'm totally at sea here. My son has got a deferred place for Birmingham uni for Sept 06, and I really don't want to be paying fees just for putting a tick in the wrong box on the forms...

sarah_2-2

If you mean about the top-up fees, he wont have to pay the £3000, just the old £1000 a year. So long as he got an offer last summer, its all good. When you apply for the student loan (being in the same position myself) we class as 'old-system' students meaning we get less money (not so good). For more info, go to Student Loans Hope this answers your question a little bit

StudentSaver_2

The fee for next year for "old system" students, like your son, will be £1200. Depending on the household income, some or all of this may be paid for him.

JollyNolly

sarah wrote:

If you mean about the top-up fees, he wont have to pay the £3000, just the old £1000 a year. So long as he got an offer last summer, its all good. When you apply for the student loan (being in the same position myself) we class as 'old-system' students meaning we get less money (not so good). For more info, go to Student Loans Hope this answers your question a little bit

This is the source of the confusion - he was offered his place during 2004-05, and requested to defer once the results came out in mid-August. From the documentation I've read, there seems to be some confusion over whether it's about when you were offered the place that you later deferred, or when you deferred it...

BTW, I can't get your link to work - could you try again for me? Thanks!

Don't worry - got it going now - it's http://www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk/portal/page?_pageid=1647,467876&_dad=portal&_schema=PROTOCOL

JollyNolly

The problem is this:

We're looking at two documents - the Application for Student Finance 2006/07 Form PN1 and the PN1 notes.

The former states:

"You will be considered a 'gap year student' if your university or college has allowed you to defer entry until 2006/07. You must h ave received their deferred entry offer letter on or before 1st August 2005."

The equivalent bit in the notes says:

"To qualify as a gap year student you must send your UCAS or university letter confirming your deferred place with the PN1 application form. This letter must show you received a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on your course at a publicly funded university or college on or before 1st August 2005."

These two don't seem to be saying quite the same thing. My son was offered his place in the normal course of UCAS applications during 2004/05. He decided to defer his place until 2006 when he got his results in mid-August. Is he a gap year student or not??

Savvy_Sue

JollyNolly wrote:

Is he a gap year student or not??

Since both the quotes you give say "before 1 August", and your son didn't defer until afterwards, I'd say not, but I'm no expert, and it would be worth a phone call to the Uni or to SLC to see how they regard him.

Of course you could always tick to say he IS, send off with the letter confirming his deferment which will be dated AFTER 1 August, and see what they say ...

JollyNolly

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Since both the quotes you give say "before 1 August", and your son didn't defer until afterwards, I'd say not, but I'm no expert, and it would be worth a phone call to the Uni or to SLC to see how they regard him.

Yes, but the second one says "This letter must show you received a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on your course at ... university or college on or before 1st August 2005."

...and he did receive his offer before 1st August - he just deferred it later. But I agree with you, we'll just say he's a bona fide gap year student, and cross our fingers...

Savvy_Sue

JollyNolly wrote:

Yes, but the second one says "This letter must show you received a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on your course at ... university or college on or before 1st August 2005."

...and he did receive his offer before 1st August - he just deferred it later. But I agree with you, we'll just say he's a bona fide gap year student, and cross our fingers...

Ah well, having read what you've just said, I'd definitely go for the option I suggested, I confess I didn't take in all the details in your 'contradictory' quotes!