College refuse to aknowledge my independent status

qwerty066000

First of all, sorry for the length!

I am currently studying a year long FE course at a local college in order to get to University this September, however I am having trouble convincing the registrar that I can't afford to pay the £1700 course fee.

I am 26 and have lived away from home for seven years, the problem is that since I left my job last summer, various family members have been helping me out financially (eg, my Grandad passed away and left my Grandmother some money, so she gave me a lump sum to keep me going for a while, my mum puts a bit in the bank now and again.) all of it goes through my bank account and is provable.

I explained all of this to the registrar in September and it was agreed I should submit bank statements for the six months preceeding the start of the course as evidence of my income. When I gave her these bank statements she changed her mind. She decided that I am dependent on my family and she also needs to see proof of income for everyone who has paid money into my account. She also wants my ex-boyfriend's financial details as I lived with him up until October.

Obviously this is a ridiculous request and I simply don't have access to that information. I don't speak to my ex and my family are angry at the suggestion that they are obliged to pay for this course - as it turns out, my personal tutor at college found that my age alone renders me officially independent so this woman has no right to anyone else's financial information. My tutor spoke to her, and told me that he had resolved the situation and that my bank statements would be enough.

The registrar has sent debt collectors after me and denied that my tutor had spoken to her, she made it clear she thought I was lying when I told her about the conversation he said he'd had. She also denied ever telling me my bank statements would be ok as evidence. I was de-enrolled for a couple of months in the Autumn because my attendance was poor (I couldn't/can't afford the £35 per week travel costs - I would be entitled to free travel were my fees remitted!). When I pointed this out to her she simply said "You were never de-enrolled." So that's a lie too apparently.

It's over half way through the course now so even if I drop out I have to pay this debt. They're sending me scary letters about court action and so on. This woman seems to be acting out of spite but I don't know who to go to for help as she is the most senior person in the finance office. Should I let the debt collectors take me to court and put my case there? Is she right - am I classed as dependent?

Oldernotwiser

Have you discussed this with your Student Services/Welfare department as they should be the people helping you with this?

The concept of being an independent student doesn't really exist at FE level and you don't automatically get your fees waived because you are of a certain age , only if you are on means tested benefits. Do you claim ALG?

qwerty066000

Thanks for replying.

I don't claim ALG as I would be better off claiming from the Learner Support Fund (I can't claim both as I'm sure you know), but I need the fees business resolved before I can be considered for that.

So you're saying the only way I could have had my fees remitted would be if I'd been on benefits? I can't claim benefits now due to my student status and before college I worked.

What really annoys me is that my income is clearly documented on the bank statements. Regardless of where it comes from she can see that I'm living on a very small amount of money and could never afford these fees. The suggestion that my family (or ex boyfriend!) are going to be obliged to pay just isn't realistic. They won't pay and I can't expect them to. If this debt sticks it will be me going to court. Me ordered to pay. Me with the ccj etc. Not them. And it would be the end of any prospect of Uni.

When I think of the thousands of pounds in EMA that go straight over the counter in TopShop it makes my blood boil.

Oldernotwiser

qwerty066000 wrote: »

Thanks for replying.

I don't claim ALG as I would be better off claiming from the Learner Support Fund (I can't claim both as I'm sure you know), but I need the fees business resolved before I can be considered for that.

So you're saying the only way I could have had my fees remitted would be if I'd been on benefits? I can't claim benefits now due to my student status and before college I worked.

What really annoys me is that my income is clearly documented on the bank statements. Regardless of where it comes from she can see that I'm living on a very small amount of money and could never afford these fees. The suggestion that my family (or ex boyfriend!) are going to be obliged to pay just isn't realistic. They won't pay and I can't expect them to. If this debt sticks it will be me going to court. Me ordered to pay. Me with the ccj etc. Not them. And it would be the end of any prospect of Uni.

When I think of the thousands of pounds in EMA that go straight over the counter in TopShop it makes my blood boil.

Some aspects of this may differ from college to college but where I worked you wouldn't be able to claim from the LSF unless you had claimed all moneys available to you, including ALG. I can see no reason for your being told that you can't claim both.

We would only have waived fees for people on means tested benefits and for people who qualified for fee waiver under the Level 3 Entitlement, for which you're too old. For someone simply on a low income, there might have been some funding available, but certainly not for the full amount.

Most people in your situation would have paid their fees out of their ALG and lived off part time earnings and family support.

student_advisor

qwerty066000 wrote: »

I don't claim ALG as I would be better off claiming from the Learner Support Fund (I can't claim both as I'm sure you know)

I would not make you any award from my LSF pot if you had not already applied for an ALG (if you are eligible for it). You must take all funds you are eligible for before asking for help from my LSF as I have a limited budget and it is discretionary whereas ALG is an entitlement.

You would not qualify for fee remission at our college unless you do not have a level 2 qualification (e.g. 5 GCSEs A*-C, NVQ 2 etc) - depending on the course you are currently doing.

I have never heard of a college remitting fees based on the circumstances you have described. Did you look into the possibility of fee remission before you started the course? Were the terms of their fee remission policy explained?

If this is indeed your college's policy, you should ask to see their policy as it will include the kind of evidence they need to collect. As this is not part of the national fee remission policy and is their own internal funding, they have the discretion to set the rules how they like.

If you were at pretty much any other college in the country, you would have had to pay fees and make provision for that within your budget.

qwerty066000

To answer both of you, I'm looking at the front page of my LSF claim form and it clearly states that those in reciept of the full EMA/ALG allowance will not be entitled to claim from the Learner Suport Fund. For what it's worth, I know this was not always the case as a friend claimed both just a couple of years ago.

I probably should have said, it is discretionary fee remission I am claiming. I certainly did check before hand and I was told the same as I'm being told now: I have to prove I am incapable of paying the fees/that my income is below a certain level. It is the issue of independence that is the problem, as I quite clearly cannot afford to pay independently, and have all the proof to support this. The registrar is arguing that I have relatives that could afford to pay, even though they have no reasonable moral obligation to do so (in the way the parents of a 17 year old would for example).

And it is a Level3/4 qualification, my first - I only have GCSEs.

student_advisor

qwerty066000 wrote: »

To answer both of you, I'm looking at the front page of my LSF claim form and it clearly states that those in reciept of the full EMA/ALG allowance will not be entitled to claim from the Learner Suport Fund.

You should not be able to choose a discretionary payment over an entitlement. Full ALG is around £1000 per year. Do you really get more than this from LSF? If so, that's where they're going wrong (if only I were in charge!)

From a professional point of view, as a college, if your Learner Support Fund budget is small it is reasonable (and within the rules) to exclude EMA & ALG recipients, however, to do this correctly, students should not have the option to choose.

qwerty066000

student_advisor wrote: »

You should not be able to choose a discretionary payment over an entitlement. Full ALG is around £1000 per year. Do you really get more than this from LSF? If so, that's where they're going wrong (if only I were in charge!)

From a professional point of view, as a college, if your Learner Support Fund budget is small it is reasonable (and within the rules) to exclude EMA & ALG recipients, however, to do this correctly, students should not have the option to choose.

The cost to the college of giving me a pass onto the college bus would be minimal if anything at all, compared to the £7.80 per day it costs me via public transport. My LSF entitlement would be a £50 lump sum for books plus the bus pass. ALG would not even cover my travel fully. It obviously makes far more financial sense to just give me permission to take the free bus (LSF) that contribute to my public travel (ALG).

Oldernotwiser

qwerty066000 wrote: »

The cost to the college of giving me a pass onto the college bus would be minimal if anything at all, compared to the £7.80 per day it costs me via public transport. My LSF entitlement would be a £50 lump sum for books plus the bus pass. ALG would not even cover my travel fully. It obviously makes far more financial sense to just give me permission to take the free bus (LSF) that contribute to my public travel (ALG).

But the ALG doesn't come out of the college's funds, so it costs them nothing. This is why colleges expect you to take this money before applying for any extra help from them.

Also, as I said before, most people in your situation pay their fees with their ALG.

qwerty066000

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But the ALG doesn't come out of the college's funds, so it costs them nothing. This is why colleges expect you to take this money before applying for any extra help from them.

Also, as I said before, most people in your situation pay their fees with their ALG.

My college doesn't expect me to take ALG before applying for LSF.

ALG wouldn't come close to covering my fees. Nevermind the fact that fees are supposed to be paid in full before the course starts and ALG is distributed weekly throughout the year, so I don't see how that would work anyway.

Oldernotwiser

qwerty066000 wrote: »

My college doesn't expect me to take ALG before applying for LSF.

ALG wouldn't come close to covering my fees. Nevermind the fact that fees are supposed to be paid in full before the course starts and ALG is distributed weekly throughout the year, so I don't see how that would work anyway.

SA and I are trying to explain how things work normally; I don't know why your college is so different. ALG works out at about 1,000 pa so would cover over half your fes and most colleges allow you to spread the cost over the year,even if only by paying termly.

Quite honestly, I don't see how your college could stop you from applying for ALG as it is public money that they don't provide.

(By the way, can you tell us which college this is?)