Student Finance/Student Loans Company are RUBBISH. Agreed?

x-Princess-Vikki-x

I'm on my second year of uni and there was numerous problems in the first year including losing all my details, losing all my evidence, accusing me of being an immigrant even though I'm British with a 100% british family.

It seems I am not the only person who has problems with the Student Loans Company. They make every bodys life extremely difficult and it causes a lot of stress ! I have had even more problems this year and so has almost everyone I've spoken to as Student Finance seem to have no idea what theyre doing.

They never answer the phones, they send the wrong documents, they lose documents, they pay the wrong amounts and every other problem possible.

I have also seen her on MSE the vast amount of difficulty they are causing due to their lack of care and it really shouldnt be this difficult!

Everyone agreed?
Anyone with any GOOD experiences with them??

Would love to hear.. and sorry for my rant

brians_daughter

I know how you feel. they told me my docs would be returned within 2 weeks of them being delivered (my eldest son needs a passport for a school trip) so i sent them off weeks and weeks, if not months ago. I got them back today pre 9am special delivery.

I have learnt the best way to deal with student finance is to call them every week for an update - thats what i do. i keep redialing til i get through and only queue 5 -7 mins.

If you have issues ask to speak with a supervisor, never ask for a call back hold whilst they get someone. I found once a supervisor was in charge things moved pretty quickly - hence my childrens doc being sent yesterday pre 9am delivery.

Also, provide them with the tracking number (if you sent special delivery as they rec) that way they put the number on the system, you can check its been signed for then its upt o them to find it

I feel that the system isnt what it should be but i also understand that they are doing their best, sometimes they just need the applicant to 'guide them' on their way!
hth

MrsManda

You've asked for a positive experience so I figured I'd tell you mine
Last year was my first year at university and arranging student finance did turn into a bit of a nightmare. This was mainly due to them taking 6 months to decide that my extenuating circumstances which caused me to drop out of university a few years ago were serious enough that they could be discounted and I could get full funding for a new degree. Once that was sorted I got my payment schedule etc... quite quickly.
This time round I applied in February, they required no evidence documents to be sent. I received an email in April asking for further information but I sent a secure message asking what they needed and they replied within a few days to say the email was a mistake and not to worry about it. I got my notification letter at the end of April.

Lokolo

First year. Applined when applications came opened. Sorted bit slow at first, but as soon as I photocopied my passport etc. everything went through ok. Payment was delayed, but was expecting this as banks are gay.

Second year. Applied when applications came opened. Sorted in 2 weeks.

Third year. Applied February, when applications were opened. Sorted in few weeks. Recieved first payment beginning of July (thats when my year starts for this year).

Glad I got in first, if you started to apply April+ lots of problems occured.

Komubcha

I applied on time, my parents sent the necessary documents (including irreplacable things) and they still claim to not have them. That's on the site anyway, I haven't been able to speak to any of them for weeks. When I did speak to them they said they had a backlog of 8-10 weeks so they had no idea what they had received yet. Surely it doesn't take a genius to work out it's a good idea to record everything coming in so they can at least confirm they've got stuff even if they can't process it. For all I know these documents were lost in the post months ago and I should have been chasing Royal Mail to find them. I probably won't know till late September when the loan is due. And if it turns out they don't have the stuff and I don't get my money, I'll have to drop out of the course and go home.

x-Princess-Vikki-x

had anyone been able to get through to their phones today?
Ive been ringing the 0845 one and 0141 243 3929 and cannot get through on either.
Is there a better time to ring??

kymbogs

Komubcha wrote: »

And if it turns out they don't have the stuff and I don't get my money, I'll have to drop out of the course and go home.

If you don't get your money in time you should be able to apply for a hardship loan from the uni to keep you going till you do get the money. So don't think you'll have to drop out just because SFE are being slow! Hope you get sorted soon, there is hope, I sent my original evidence etc off about 16 weeks ago now and they kept asking for different things and I thought there was no chance I was going to get the money - not a nice prospect with a mortgage and two kids! However I received my payment schedule today. Don't give up yet

MrsManda

x-Princess-Vikki-x wrote: »

had anyone been able to get through to their phones today?vIve been ringing the 0845 one and 0141 243 3929 and cannot get through on either.Is there a better time to ring??

The student finance website does currently have a message dated today saying they're receiving a large volumes of calls.
It may be better to leave it until tomorrow and call first thing in the morning.

Oldernotwiser

Komubcha wrote: »

I applied on time, my parents sent the necessary documents (including irreplacable things) and they still claim to not have them. .

Surely you sent them by signed for delivery if you sent irreplaceable documents? Didn't you take photocopies of them first?

Humphrey10

x-Princess-Vikki-x wrote: »

Anyone with any GOOD experiences with them??

Yep. Every time I've had to apply, the application has been late (due my mum being disorganised and not filling in her bit!), but the money has come on time.

Plus last year I got contacted by a debt collector about unpaid fees from last time I was at uni (when I couldn't complete my course due to ill health), I thought the fees had been paid but I really wasn't in a good state at the time, so I assume I just never filled in the form. Anyway I rang student finance and the univeristy saying the fees should have been paid I thought, and student finace just needed a letter from my doctor at the time and from the university, and they paid the outstanding fees quite quickly.

Never had any problems with important documents not being sent back, they've always been sent back quickly.

However, I haven't applied for this year, and I think they are busier this year so more problems for people!

random_dave

They are based in Scotland - home to financial wizards the Royal Bank of Scotland and Gordon Brown