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Open University PC Grants- Unrealistic...
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You get it about 21 days after the course starts. It is just the £140 this year (well - this October) rather than the usual £250.
And yes, you can buy now and send the reciept in as I enquired this morning0 -
wontonsoup wrote: »I commence a course with the Open University in October and the funding is very minimal when compared to attending any other university. I have £140 PC Grant and £260 course grant to last the entire year and to purchase a computer, peripherals (Printer, Scanner etc.), set books, travel to lectures, travel to residential schools that are located around the country and computer software. It is absolutely impossible as you have to buy the computer new!
I know there is an access to learning fund, but do not know how that works and how much you can get from it. I am currently on incapacity benefit due to illness and cannot work, even though I am constantly searching for jobs I may be able to do from home.
If anyone has any advice or tips, I would be very grateful. Please no nasty comments.
Hi
I too am doing an OU course (Level 1 60 points) The course was paid for as I'm in receipt of Income Support but I had no idea I was entitled to any other grant. However, this morning I noticed that £260 has been paid into my account by the Student Loans Company - do I need to pay this back and why didn't they inform me of this? Confused!0 -
Hi
I too am doing an OU course (Level 1 60 points) The course was paid for as I'm in receipt of Income Support but I had no idea I was entitled to any other grant. However, this morning I noticed that £260 has been paid into my account by the Student Loans Company - do I need to pay this back and why didn't they inform me of this? Confused!
You are eligible for the course grant which should cover your additional study costs.0 -
Hi all, sorry for dragging up a thread that hasnt been used for a little while, but i'm hoping that the posters are still subscribed to it and will come back.
I am due to start a course in January and have received my registration pack and financial award letter, what i was wondering though is when/how i apply for the computer grant? do they send me something or do i need to do something?
Thanks0 -
Hi James,
I received a letter about 4 weeks before my course start date (after applying for financial support) asking if i would be interested in the PC grant and yesterday received e-mail confirmation i would be receiving the grant (not yet got it though so will be waiting to make the purchase couple of weeks i hope)
hope this helps0 -
Hi James,
I received a letter about 4 weeks before my course start date (after applying for financial support) asking if i would be interested in the PC grant and yesterday received e-mail confirmation i would be receiving the grant (not yet got it though so will be waiting to make the purchase couple of weeks i hope)
hope this helps
Thanks, so do you get the grant first or do you buy the computer first and get like a rebate from the OU? So i should just wait for a letter? hopefully will get one0 -
Wontonsoup you give off the impression to me to be either a young person or if older very young minded in your attitude. Otherwise I think you would of realised quite quickly, the other posters have only just been trying to help you.
After having read all of your posts, I personally have formed my own thoughts. I think it would be good for you try to calm down a bit and really rethink how you've behaved towards others. Read through the replies you have posted to others and try to see things from a different perspective other than your own..
A main theme seems to emit from your posts..... I think your motives are quite clearly MONEY motivated. GET MORE MONEY WHERE I CAN.
Having studied also previously at a London based campus university, and now currently studying at the Open university. I can say from experience studying with the OU is definitely the better option in terms of the large debts you are left with, from the ridiculous amounts of money in loans/grants being thrown at you by the government.
My question is if you found it easier to study that way, (loving the comfort of being in financial debt), why didn't you apply to a campus facility? Since you obviously feel the OU doesn't give you enough financial support. I don't see how as they are paying for your chosen course fee in full, which you do not have to worry about having to pay back, plus they are giving you £500 consisting of a course grant and a pc grant. Enough if you really need to get a brand new laptop and a printer-scanner which nowadays a HP photosmart £40 is sufficient. I spent £350 on my Acer laptop and it as 3GB Memory and 250 GB dual core processor and hard drive.
The simple fact is, those main payments are more than enough for a grateful individual to be thankful for. There are those in the world honey, that cannot even get an education, and yet so desperately wouldn't mind having one. All they want is just to go to school or go onto university, and simply just cannot afford it. For them it is far out of their reach. They are either stuck in stinking slums living in tin pan houses next to smelly sewers and your complaining. Check yourself please! Spare a thought for those other than yourself and your UK laid back lifestyle.
As already mentioned by previous posters it isn't a necessity to attend tutorials and to be honest I also have found group forums like facebook a much better support system if your having trouble or difficulties.
The £260 course grant has to be exhausted first before you can apply for the Access to learning fund. You will have to prove to the university what you have spent the course grant on, for instance in my case one weeks childcare which evidence had to be provided in support. Then the fund can then be accessed, for example, for books (GET A NUS CARD FOR DISCOUNTS), Broadband usage, pens, travel, etc.
I think you are stressing for whatever reason unecessarily, and so because of your own frustrations which you are not TRUTHFULLY airing you are being defensive angry, and very rude in the process, simply because you are not receiving the answers to your posts in the way YOU wish. I think really just to recieve answers for HOW TO OBTAIN MORE MONEY to fund your own greed & selfish reasons!
What happened to all the thousands of pounds you received - that surely you must be paying back? Did you complete your first degree you originally must of got into debt for, or did you just spend the money and thought doing it the open universityway might also open further avenues of large amounts of money.
Sorry if you don't like any of what I've said, but that is just my thoughts from how you have expressed yourself in past posts. Sometimes we really have to be truthful to ourselves about the ways in which we behave to others. If you feel you are still unable to really take on board any of the things said then maybe you shouldn't post any more. People are entitled to speak frankly just as you do. If you choose to retaliate I'll let you know in advance, that it's fine as grievous words don't stir up anger within me.
I just hope you will grow up a little, appreciate and be thankful for the blessings that have come your way. You are a lot more fortunate than most. All the very best with your course.0
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