Incompetence at the University of York

Barcode

I'm feeling very fed up and frustrated with various administrative people at the university who appear to be unable to answer basic questions. For those who have had to provide evidence of funding in the past, did you have to provide a bank statement/letter confirming funds for tuition fees *and* living expenses?

The plan is for my partner to pay my fees (and I will pay her about half, as this is what I have saved). But nobody seems to be able to tell me whether it is possible to call up and provide debit/credit card details over the telephone so they can take payment.

Nobody also seems to be able to tell me whether evidence of benefits constitutes evidence of living expenses. Surely, they understand that I am not going to have £8000 at once since benefits are paid weekly? Apparently not.

Nobody also seems to know exactly *how* much I should have at once (the £8000 figure I quotes from a sample budget I found on the finance office website).

I'm getting a bit sick of endless e-mails and receiving standard replies. The kicker is that I cannot enrol until this evidence has been provided (I've offered to fax or e-mail a bank statement confirming evidence of incapacity benefit and housing benefit), but nobody will tell me HOW to send the evidence.

It is also seriously stressing me out that they do not seem to understand the situation with benefits. I'm scared I may be denied starting my course because they think I do not have funds for living expenses, when it's the tuition fees which my partner is attempting to (unsuccessfully due to their failure to tell me how) pay! Once that is done, presumably they can make my offer unconditional as the fees will have been paid (doesn't matter WHO from presumably).

Rant over (feel a bit better now).

studentphil

The best thing I would say is go see them if live near and take all your info with you. Seeing people in person works best.

Barcode

This is the problem. I'm abroad. I'm going back to York at the beginning of Oct. I seem to be dealing with some stupid temp who doesn't have a clue at the moment.

You would think evidence of benefits IS evidence of living expenses. It's just the fees that are causing the problem. I don't want to make any large payments until it is clear HOW to do so from abroad.

melancholly

most universities are pretty incompetent about money, it's not just York!!
i'm on a fully funded phd and 2 years in, i still have to fight to get my cheque every time because someone has to send an email to someone else, who has to tell someone to tell someone to get someone else to write a cheque. they have admitted that it's a really bad system, but apparently not bad enough for them to change it!

it is a bit odd that they're being that funny since you're funding yourself, you think they'd be grateful!! when it's all sorted out, send a letter to them attaching all the emails saying how difficult you found it, just to let them know how crap they are - it may make them improve it for someone else. i find it bizarre that you have to prove living expenses though.....

good luck!

studentphil

I think the problem is if you are claiming any benefits because you are unfit to work, then it raises the question to the university are you unfit to do the course and maybe the DWP wont pay you benefits if you are fit enough to do a FT course as ypu are clearly fit enough to work.

You should be able to pay your fees by cheque or card even for overseas if it is a GBP account

Barcode

Thanks. It seems that there is a lack of communication between various people/departments.

I hate the way they just say, 'provide evidence of £8000', when each persons circumstances are different. Some will have a job for living expenses, others will be funded by the research councils, family etc, and some, like me, will have state benefits paid on a weekly basis. It does not matter where it is from, the point is that I will be receiving enough for my rent/bills/food on a monthly basis.

Here we are, trying to throw £3168 at them, and nobody will explain concisely and clearly how to go about this. My partner is going to call the fees office when she gets home later (I'm deaf, so can't) to see if we can pay over the phone, then they can hopefully make my offer unconditional.

Hopefully, I'll get some sort of fee funding for the PHD, and won't have to go through this nightmare again. Glad it is not just me.

I am keeping all correspondence and will provide feedback, I think that's a good idea. Some of these people are copying/pasting word for word what is on the website and what I already know. It's hard to compose a response without sounding rude.

Barcode

studentphil wrote:

I think the problem is if you are claiming any benefits because you are unfit to work, then it raises the question to the university are you unfit to do the course and maybe the DWP wont pay you benefits if you are fit enough to do a FT course as ypu are clearly fit enough to work.

You should be able to pay your fees by cheque or card even for overseas if it is a GBP account

No, it doesn't raise the question. I meet the criteria to receive incapacity benefit. I receive an enormous amount of support from the disability office. I supported myself through my undergraduate degree with the help of state benefits. They were paid to me then, there is no reason why they should be stopped now.

It's really frustrating/upsetting that some people may not be able to pursue their ambitions because of all this incompetence. If my benefits are stopped, I would just have to drop out and go back on them because I have no means of paying for my living expenses otherwise. Meanwhile, I'd see my hope of going into academia going down the pan. I just think it's unfair sometimes.

Studying is not exactly the same as working. I can study when I feel up to it and with support in place. Something that is not possible in most jobs.

studentphil

Are you sure that you have to fees before enrolment, can you not just pay fees at or soon after the time of registering?

studentphil

Barcode wrote:

No, it doesn't raise the question. I meet the criteria to receive incapacity benefit. I receive an enormous amount of support from the disability office. I supported myself through my undergraduate degree with the help of state benefits. They were paid to me then, there is no reason why they should be stopped now.

It's really frustrating/upsetting that some people may not be able to pursue their ambitions because of all this incompetence. If my benefits are stopped, I would just have to drop out and go back on them because I have no means of paying for my living expenses otherwise. Meanwhile, I'd see my hope of going into academia going down the pan. I just think it's unfair sometimes.

Studying is not exactly the same as working. I can study when I feel up to it and with support in place. Something that is not possible in most jobs.

Good, well I just wanted to check that there would be problems with DWP if you claim benefits and study and the same time.

Barcode

You can pay fees at the time of registering. The problem is they are not explaining HOW I can register in the first place! I cannot enrol until evidence of funding is provided. But my partner is paying the fees, so the money won't be in my account (though I can confirm evidence of benefits).

I may just ask her to transfer a lump sum into my account, it seems it's going to be a lot easier than for them to get their head around the really, really complicated process of taking fees from an account that is not mine.

welf_man

1) Are they treating you as a Home or Overseas student? You may be confusing them by being out of the country!2) Have you checked that the benefits concerned will continue once you're a student? HB particularly is affected by student status.3) Is this an MA/MSc course? If so, they will be wanting to ensure their income stream as there is minimal funding for such courses other than directly from the students.4) Are you talking to the department, the Fees Office or the Student Financial Support Unit? If you haven't tried the latter, do so as they're usually pretty efficient.Mel.