being withdrawn from my degree

niccy

a letter i received from my dear daughter

I am precisely ten days away from being withdrawn from my degree to lack of funds. My application was sent in June last year and all my paperwork got lost or misplaced. Last count about 70,000 students a week after they enrolled had not recieved any support from Student Finance England.

olly300

Who have you and your daughter contacted?

Tiffany_SR

I have contacted my university and the student finance company. i have also spoken to the one of the managers of student finance as well as the complaints department. With the help of family and friends tomorrow someone will be contacting the local paper on whats going on and I will be going to the MP. I'm not really sure what else to do I have also started an online petition on facebook.
Any help will be appreciated,
Many thanks,
Tiffany

Voyager2002

Tiffany_SR wrote: »

I have contacted my university and the student finance company. i have also spoken to the one of the managers of student finance as well as the complaints department. With the help of family and friends tomorrow someone will be contacting the local paper on whats going on and I will be going to the MP. I'm not really sure what else to do I have also started an online petition on facebook.
Any help will be appreciated,
Many thanks,
Tiffany

I just wonder who you have spoken with at your university. It would be very unusual for a university to force a student to discontinue if given evidence that you had applied properly and were the victim of a bureaucratic delay.

I suggest you ask your student union welfare officer to speak with someone senior in student finance. I suspect that the warning letter to you was computer-generated (or came from some jobs-worth clerk) and that no-one responsible has had a chance to consider your situation.

Do please give the university a chance to make arrangements for you before going to the press. Although it is always good to let MPs know about problems like this.

Indie_Kid

Voyager2002 wrote: »

I just wonder who you have spoken with at your university. It would be very unusual for a university to force a student to discontinue if given evidence that you had applied properly and were the victim of a bureaucratic delay.

Yeah. We were given an extra 6 weeks or so to pay for accommodation because of the delays.

piratefairy

Was your application sent in before the deadline? I understand that about 95% of the people still waiting on these delays had not got their applications in before the cut off date, and then wondered why there was a delay.
I think it's an awful situation to be in, but surely you will have some evidence that the paperwork is pending, and the University should be able to see that - they have no reason to withdraw. Many have put into place emergency loans for students in this position, perhaps it owuld be a good idea to make a fuss until you are able to speak to someone high enough up the chain to be able to do something like that for you? (as I know from experience Student Services tend to like to fob you off).. Good luck !

Freddie_Snowbits

18 years of life, an education and a sack full of A Levels and you cannot get to apply for a loan in time! TUFF

When I went to Uni aged 34, I also had a mortgage to pay, apply for funds and loans to complete, and guess what, I managed to get the funds.

ViolaLass

Freddie_Snowbits, how do you know the deadline was missed? I believe it's in June, so chances are it wasn't missed (unless you've seen info I haven't). The SLC are notorious for being slow so it's unlikely to be OP's/daughter's fault.

Talk to your university and go as high as you can. If it's not your fault that you don't have the money yet, I'm sure they'll help you. Talking to your MP is also a good idea. I had to do the same about 3 years ago and found my MP very helpful. (I got a reply from the Minister of Education who chased up my application!)

ViolaLass

Should have said, I believe the deadline is 27th June so chances really are it wasn't missed.

OP, if you missed the deadline, on the other hand, then you're at the mercy of your LEA, I believe.

Lokolo

ViolaLass wrote: »

Freddie_Snowbits, how do you know the deadline was missed? I believe it's in June, so chances are it wasn't missed (unless you've seen info I haven't). The SLC are notorious for being slow so it's unlikely to be OP's/daughter's fault.

Talk to your university and go as high as you can. If it's not your fault that you don't have the money yet, I'm sure they'll help you. Talking to your MP is also a good idea. I had to do the same about 3 years ago and found my MP very helpful. (I got a reply from the Minister of Education who chased up my application!)

I have never had my application delayed and all my finance has been sorted within 2-4 weeks of applying (inc. declaration). My 4th and final year has been sorted already.

I believe there is an element in luck but I also believe there is an element of common sense of doing is ASAP.

Although saying that, I agree with talking to university, surely the OP have proof they have applied so its not longer under their control?

student_advisor

piratefairy wrote: »

I know from experience Student Services tend to like to fob you off

I'm sorry that you have had a poor experience of your student services, but I'd like to reassure other students on here that the majority of staff in the majority of student services/SU advice centres do not like to or try to fob students off. I get paid to do my best to help my students and that's what I do on a daily basis.

Every student who has come to my dept or the Finance dept and has proved to us that they have not yet been assessed properly has had their fees account put on hold and received financial support with living costs & childcare where necessary. They have also had me to help them get their account with SFE sorted too.