Student finance

mhoc

This is a bit of a continuing story.

Encouraged by advice given here my daughter set off for student finance this morning and told them her tale of woe and asked for a hardship loan to tide her over. They were not a bit interested but they said they might possibly give her a £20 loan if she came back.

So I rang the student union, explained everything and the lady I spoke to understood. As I said there must be other students in the same boat, cant just be one student who is stuck! She gave me two names, one for student welfare and she/they are ringing my daughter hopefully.

My daughter got into uni through clearing so has only recently applied for her student loan. We have rung her LEA twice and one person says it might be ten weeks, another says three weeks before her loan goes through.

Her bank messed her account so it might be another week before that is set up. Student finace said to go to her bank so obviously they were not listening.

She is doing really well at filling in job applications and hanging out CVs but even if she got a job today it would be weeks before wages would go into her bank.

So in the meantime we are waiting for contact from student welfare

Anyone else been in this situation, passed from one to another?

Mary

Emmzi

If she gets a temp job today, weekly paid in arrears, it'd be about 10 days before she got some cash. My local Kelly, Reed and Adecco do open days for temps this time of year.

mhoc

Very useful info. She says she has completed all her job applications so I am trying to encourage her to do a few more.

She took herself along to the bank, armed only with the signing slip I sent her - I dont think she even had her cheque book with her, the bank allowed her to do a withdrawal!

This is slightly worrying in itself, her having to use the overdraft so soon and because she will see the overdraft as "free" money. The £35 we left her which was supposed to last a week only lasted her 3 days!

Meanwhile at the bank the student welfare support officer rang her and she was very sympathetic, made sure she had enough food etc and my daughter turned down any offers of help! Fancy someone turning down money!

So crisis averted, at least for today

Mary

Sigur_2

When she gets to second year, she'll realise never turn down anything the university offers, especially if its a hardship grant. I've grown to want to get every single penny out of them I possibly can, because they've done exactly the same to me. The Students Union is basically a monopoly it seems, and charge whatever they want because they know most students will come regardless. So taking their money I have no problem with.

elaine373

My daughter is going to uni this saturday and has no loan/grant money that has come through yet. I was wondering what she is meant to do as we are not able to pay her tuition and rent fees. Any advice gratefully received.

mikescott86

Elaine, assuming the paperwork was completed correctly and sent off before the deadline, your daughter should receive her loan when she registers for her course. I get mine on Monday. Can't wait!

mhoc

From what we have figured out you have to finacially enrol (on line and then when you get there), then academically enrol and your loan takes a few weeks after that.

We have had two different estimates from our LEA, one that it could take 10 weeks from applying and one that it could take three!

Mary

pondie1

my daughters slc loan details have changed to 21st submitted(did say 18th) on website does that mean payments go in then,as we have had to put extra money into bank today to tide her over till payments arrive (if nus card would hurry up she could get to hsbc and change bank to student and get overdraft etc,she has no other acceptable id)

mhoc

I have a form to get third party access to my daughters student account so if she has problems I can sort them for her (habit of a life time, sorting other peoples problems out). I think I also get a card so I can pay for things she wants with her money!

We cant get access to the website, wont except the passwords and it only gives you three attempts each day before it shuts you out so in theory you stop trying after attempt number 2.

Chap on the phone on Friday did not have a solution to this problem so he send me the forms in the post but thye arrived on Monday, very fast especailly as thye are supposed to be swamped

Mary