SLC holding up a Bursary

sams247

Hi all. My DD started a Uni course at Surrey Uni last October, at which time she applied for and was awarded a bursary. They said that she would have a short wait as Bursaries were not paid out until Jan/Feb. Feb came and no bursary, ther student loan comapny said she had not filled out the form properly - they said a signature was missing. Couple of weeks later it proved that the signature was not actually mising and the forms were fine. Essentially it has been an endless week in and week out slog of phone calls to establish that the bursary has not moved an inch since that time. Each time she phones they say that they are dealing with it, although no one seems to have any reason for it being held up. The Uni say as soon as the SLC give the go ahead they can release the funds. The slc say we are dealing with it. etc etc. She has now been told that if they don't give the go ahead before June 18th then she will lose the bursary.

Is there anything she can do? The bursary was one of the reasons she went for the course at the place she did as she could not have afforded to without it (and thereby is now struggling juggling two jobs with Uni and trying to stave off debt)

Do you know who could help?

Thank you

MrsManda

What bursary is being witheld?
SLC Maintenance grant, University bursary, Surrey enhanced-value bursary?
Does she have a schedule of payments from the SLC and the University with regards to the bursary? Is she getting her student loans OK?

sams247

MrsManda wrote: »

What bursary is being witheld?
SLC Maintenance grant, University bursary, Surrey enhanced-value bursary?
Does she have a schedule of payments from the SLC and the University with regards to the bursary? Is she getting her student loans OK?

Its a Uni bursary given due to grades and achievements in her area of study. She has no schedule of payment at all yet. She got her student loan late but did get it.

A further phone call now reveals that a piece of paper from the tax office that they had, and returned is now needed again. I may be really really cynical but it all sounds like stalling to me. It's a different excuse or no excuse at all every time.

MrsManda

Do you know what the SLC has to do with it if it's a performance based bursary? Is the amount based on the maintenance grant she received from the SLC?

Taiko

If there's a standard bursary holdup, I'd say that's due to outstanding evidence/incorrect permissions.

If it's performance related, it's gotta be down to the university.

sams247

MrsManda wrote: »

Do you know what the SLC has to do with it if it's a performance based bursary? Is the amount based on the maintenance grant she received from the SLC?

They were linked, she got the maximum grant.

ciderwithrosie_2

I'm confused now (doesn't take much), if she gets the maximum grant and her course fees were the top whack she will get a bursary from the Uni
(anything from around £320 upwards) as a sort of reimbursment. If it's performance/attendance related this will also come from the Uni. My son got both of these in his second term with no involvement from the SLC as far as I'm aware. The performance one was actually in the form of vouchers which can be spent on travel, rent, books etc.

regards CWR

zppp

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

I'm confused now (doesn't take much), if she gets the maximum grant and her course fees were the top whack she will get a bursary from the Uni
(anything from around £320 upwards) as a sort of reimbursment. If it's performance/attendance related this will also come from the Uni. My son got both of these in his second term with no involvement from the SLC as far as I'm aware. The performance one was actually in the form of vouchers which can be spent on travel, rent, books etc.

regards CWR

This is correct. The SLC do not administer bursaries whatsoever. They do supply information to the university however for means-tested bursaries. They do not supply anything for performance related bursaries, unless it has an element of means testing

sams247

OK I need to go back and do my homework with her and see if I've got the titles all correct. It does have something to do wiht means testing as she had to prove if she had worked or not in her gap year, and as she lives in her own house what income she has now. They say that's what is holding it up now.

I'm all confused.

Thank you all.