Very extreme reason for hardship

flossy_splodge

Hi ryan. I feel for you. Might I suggest that it would help if you take on board one or two facts.
1) welfare officers are PAID to be available to help people in difficulty. If they don't get used you could cause them to lose their jobs! Or get offered reduced hours! These days you do need to fight for what you need so go get an appointment. Their discussions with you will be CONFIDENTIAL. They have been trained to know the options.
2) If you really can't face the feeling of sharing within your Uni go talk to the CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau). They are terrific and are there for the citizens !! They have access to all sorts of specialist help such as legal guidance if needed.
3) be aware that the only thing creditors really can't abide is being kept in the dark! The CAB will help you to contact your creditors and make arrangements with EACH of them to pay back WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD. Don't forget, with your grades you are at least potentially going to be earning mega bucks one day if you handle this right. If you can show you took little steps to deal with things in my opinion that makes you a proven problem solver rather than someone for whom life has been easy! If I was looking to employ you that would be a big PLUS!
So take a deep breath in through your nose. Let it out SLOWLY through your mouth, consciously relax your shoulders and decide which step you will take first.
PLEASE PLEASE do NOT view Bankruptcy as a way out. There are better options. Keep coming back to this board at each step if you want to for support. This is a great community with many people who really care so use us.
Good luck. x

robhammond

Hi Ryan,

I can speak as a former, yet recent, Education & Welfare Officer - and although I cannot give specific advice to you as I don't know the full picture maybe I could give you a couple of tips.

If you are suffering from depression and in the middle of your exams or assignments tell your personal tutor (or any that you feel comfortable talking to), seriously. They can provide extensions on the deadlines or allow extenuating circumstances so that your results are not as bad. If you have been signed off for a while and can prove it, then they can even apply it to previous assignments - the important thing is that they cannot help you unless you ask.

Secondly regarding your finances, make a full and frank list of all your debts. Then book to see your Student's Union advice centre or speak to them on the phone if that isn't convenient. The people who run the centres are really very knowledgeable, professional & confidential. We cannot even talk to another advisor about your case for a second opinion with out your permission.

In my years as an advisor, I have never yet told anyone to declare themselves bankrupt. Purely because although it appears to be the easy option, long term it is extremely detrimental.
You sound like a very clever lad and you will go far in a career, with this you will maybe want to apply for mortgages, car loans, home telephones, mobile contracts etc in the future (although you may not be even considering it at the moment) and it will be very difficult to do so with bankruptcy.

Regarding the Access to Learning Fund, there is absolutely no reason to feel ashamed, honestly. The fund is there to help students who are in financial difficulty for one reason or another - they are not judgemental at all.
The student finance office will review your claim in total confidence & they are forbidden from telling any body else even within the University - so your personal tutor will not even know.

Here is a link to my thread if you haven't already seen it...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=179491

It is most likely your best option at the minute for the short term solution followed up with some debt counselling from the Advice Centre.

The best of luck with your degree, I know it all may seem very difficult, but with a little advice and some tough decisions you can sort it out.

Rob

Rockhag

I was kinda in te same boat myself what with the depressio and uni etc. as well as debt. I, at a friends advice went to see a student advisor who got me registered as a disabled student which has helped what with deadlines etc. and i booked an appointment with the consumer credit councilling service peeps who are absolute angels and i have applied for the hardship fund practically every year so far that ive been a student. I've seen fellow students apply for the hardship fund just to fuel a few nights out or a designer top or whatever so whereas ive needed the fund just to break even or help me out with new glasses or whatever (i have a part time job so i dont get free nhs) i really dont feel guilty for applying.

Swallow your pride and dont tell anyone if you dont want to. uni's seem to be very strict when it comes to the dpa.

Ryan.Maloney

Rockhag wrote:

I was kinda in te same boat myself what with the depressio and uni etc. as well as debt. I, at a friends advice went to see a student advisor who got me registered as a disabled student which has helped what with deadlines etc. and i booked an appointment with the consumer credit councilling service peeps who are absolute angels and i have applied for the hardship fund practically every year so far that ive been a student. I've seen fellow students apply for the hardship fund just to fuel a few nights out or a designer top or whatever so whereas ive needed the fund just to break even or help me out with new glasses or whatever (i have a part time job so i dont get free nhs) i really dont feel guilty for applying.

Swallow your pride and dont tell anyone if you dont want to. uni's seem to be very strict when it comes to the dpa.

That really makes my blood boil - people getting the hardship fund for designer clothes.

I am always struggling just to break even.

I will apply to it. I just feel a little concerned about writing about personal/family issues, but it is confidential...

pickle

Definitely talk with the personal tutor or Head of School if you have depression and finding it difficult. Don't worry they see students on a daily basis with pretty much the same issues and will be sympathetic. You probably feel you are in a minority but everyone has things they struggle with. It's always confidential, if unsure then ask them to keep it so. They may need to communicate with other tutors/lecturers regarding your needs for special consideration so ask them who they would need to speak to about it. Better to do this than to risk failing.

Starry-eyed_surprise

Hi Ryan, just wanted to send (hugs) to you. You will get throught this. Good advice on here - and also look at the money saving old style and debt free wannabe boards. Depression is a terrible thing but the good news is that it will lift and you will feel better and then hopefully it will just be a bad period of your life you can put it away. Do speak with someone - doctor/friends about this too. There is no reason why you have to feel alone with this. People are often very good at hiding things from each other and you probably already know people who maybe feel like you but perhaps don't admit it. You are not alone. And you can and will get through this. I am sure with help you can avoid bankruptcy. Be brave and ask for more advice from sources as suggested by other posters. Could you perhaps get a summer job as a short term measure? You are already brave coming on here so you can do this. You deserve to succeed. You have a lot of talent, clearly. You have a great future ahead. Believe it.

Rockhag

Ryan.Maloney wrote:

That really makes my blood boil - people getting the hardship fund for designer clothes.

I am always struggling just to break even.

I will apply to it. I just feel a little concerned about writing about personal/family issues, but it is confidential...

Yeah you should be fine. It makes my blood boil about the designer clothes as well. :mad:

dmg24

I thought you'd been banned?

skyrocket

Ryan
If you have lots of credit cards etc have you also had lots of charges?
You could claim them back and that might help a bit (or a lot depends)
Do a search on this site or pm me and I will help if I can.
Sky

kittiwoz

Ryan has been banned because he is a troll. He has had a few pseudonyms since so is probably still lurking but you are a bit late with your advice since he is now aparently already bankrupt though he posted quite a lot of contradictory stuff so it's hard to know. If you read some of his other posts and get a bit of an impression of his spending habits you'll probably feel rather less sorry for him.