Hold on tight! It's going to be a bumpy ride!!!

Moneytroubles_2

Hi everyone,

I know i've only been a member a couple of months but it's time for a new diary, as the last one was titled "Rocky Road to Debt Free Wedded Bliss" and as anyone who followed it will know my wedding got cancelled as result of cost and stress so that's been put on hold for sometime now and the new challenge in my life is uni.

I currently work full time with a basic salary of £17,000, yesterday I started uni and the course is over 5 days and pretty intense, therefore I need to reduce my hours (if work will let me) to 16 a week, with the intention to do over time in the holidays etc.

Today I went to student finance to see what I was entitled to and gutted that the answer was nothing

As I studied when I was 18 (HND) and received funding, that means I am not entitled to any funding this year, and I have to pay for my tuition fees myself (3225 over 3 payments) :eek:

I will get a maintence loan - which should have helped with cost of living but instead is going towards fees, and also my nhs bursary is going towards my fees.

Uni have said that I can apply for a hardship load, however as I am receiving a NHS bursary, student finance said this will be a disadvantage

Just not sure what I can do! Only been there 2 days and its already turning into a nightmare. OH doesn't help, where I suggest we look at our budget, and dont spend as much his non supportive approach is "we'll have to sell the house, theres no other option" :mad:

Feel really bad now, this would be so much easier if i was on my own, cos then I'm not affect OH's monies

ZiggyStardust_2

Found your new diary! My understanding was that you should be entitled to some funding still because an HND is only 2 years instead of the usual 3 year degree?! Did you only receive funding for 2 years previously? x

Moneytroubles_2

Hiya, yeah I did and this was 2004 & 2005.

Student finance seemed pretty adamant!

ZiggyStardust_2

I went onto their website a while ago, they have a finance calculator to give you an idea of what you could be entitled to. One of the questions was regarding length- said if you had received funding for over 3 years it could affect what you could receive. But you've only done 2, doesn't seem fair

Moneytroubles_2

mmm I've got to phone them tommorow anyways, as the lady at uni seems to think that the maintenance loan they have given me isn't enough either, so I will question it with them aswell - If I didn't have all these god damn debts then it wouldn't be a problem, as my outgoings would be a lot lower - I curse them wreckless youthful days! lol X

ZiggyStardust_2

I had a hell of a time with them...one didn't understand my course was a PGCE and I had to explain to another that I was entitled to finance as PGCE students are entitled to the same as undergraduates. They were clueless! The fact I had to quote to them what I had found out over the internet... :rolleyes: They tried telling me over the phone I would get half as much as I've actually received, pretty clueless!

Moneytroubles_2

I better get doing my research then, cos if I have nothing to back up my call then they could tell me anything and I would just accept it!

slummymummyof3

When I did my original degree as an allied healthcare professional, the fees were funded by the NHS with a bursary on top - do the NHS not fund their degree courses anymore???

Moneytroubles_2

Well now im really confused, just been on student finance and I cant make head nor tail of it, the website is saying that I should be entitled to just under 5000 maintenance loan (currently have just under 2400) and it says I am eligible for tuition fees loans, however when I click that I've applied for a bursary it then says I may not be entitled to any funding!! whats all that about? everyone else it, and it totally contradicts what I was told at uni???

Moneytroubles_2

slummymummy do you know where I might find this information? Thanks

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi money troubles sounds like your having a day of it !! OH sounds like he isnt in the lightbulb moment maybe you need to get serious and say right im moving home you poay everything see what he says then :Puni will work its self out, but your oh needs to be supportive dont talk tell him and have done with it does he not know how much you want to do this course, hope something sorts out x