Student Finance AGRO!

caz07

my daughter applied for student finance, months ago way before the deadline, and she's STILL waiting on her money to come through!!!

She looked on her student finance account today, and in the payments section it says that her tution loan and maint loan has been blocked but her grant is still approved,apprentley they still need to check the NI number through dwp, but aswell there still waiting on her attendence from the uni even though she's been there for 2 weeks now and another girl on her course has already got her money which is pretty confusing if there still waiting on the attendence sheet? ,

its absolutely stupid that they need all this silly information just to get some money!

one question.... they dont need to check her NI number for the maint grant because you dont have to pay it back, will she get it on the date which is on my payment schedule?

any help would be really great

Caz

Taiko

She'll get the grant on the date if her university have confirmed attendance. You must confirm attendance as a way of combating fraud.

The NI checks are only done when an application has been approved, it saves on admin.

If you did apply ontime, and supplied all the documents the application form stated, then you would've been fine.

caz07

thanks for the reply

its so confusing though, plus they dont tell you anything, if there still needing something from you or if theres a problem, they just wait for you to contact them, like today my daughter thought everything was sorted since its been approved and everythings been done, but it hasnt.

student finance is a farce!

Caz

Taiko

It actually states quite clearly on the forms, and notes that accompany them, what documents you are expected to send.

caz07

it really doesnt though, we applied online, and because we sent the birth certificate off, we had to send a decleration form with it, they didnt mention that at first only unitl my daughter rang up and asked why her application was being held up, months later, she thought everything was sorted

but it wasnt! until you query it they dont bother telling you!

Caz

radford

Taiko wrote: »

It actually states quite clearly on the forms, and notes that accompany them, what documents you are expected to send.

Yes, but I sent in the copy of my SA tax return as shown in the info, with its 32 digit submission number (it was submitted on line to HMRC), and 8 weeks later I got a phone call from SF saying that wasn't eno - they needed an SA302, which I got from the taxman and forwarded to them. For 3 months I was then being told there was a technical error on their part and it would have to be assessed by hand. Now, 7 months after submitting my SA form, I am told that the evidence is not enough and I have to submit a 'finalised tax return'.
Perhaps you could help me with what is a 'finalised tax return' compared to the documents that I have already sent to SF. I can't get a description from SF!!!

caz07

exactly they dont tell you anything, unless you contact them or wait months and months for them to tell you, its ridiculous, they need a better system or something

Caz

radford

Taiko wrote: »

It actually states quite clearly on the forms, and notes that accompany them, what documents you are expected to send.

...and also, I haven't found anywhere on the website, where it says that widows have to send in the Council Tax demand showing the single person discount. They refer to divorced and separated, but not to widows - but I stand to be corrected as the website is such a mess it is impossible to be sure you have read everything - perhaps you can show me that bit! There is also no clear instructions for how to state one is a sole sponsor - they kept demanding information for the second sponsor.

Jaron

I applied to SFE online without any problems. The website was annoying at first but when they updated to the new version it was a lot easier. Everything is ticked off when completed so there really is no room for error.

I sent some evidence, called them to see if they would return it, they confirmed they would, still haven't received the evidence back even though I placed a note in bold red font saying to return it. Not that big of a deal though, should've just got off my !!!! and photocopied it.

I applied a week before the deadline and received my confirmation a few days after my results. Then received payment on the day I started.

I think I just got lucky since I hear all of these students on the news struggling to get the payments... or maybe it's partly their fault.

I hate their premium hotline though. I hate all premium phone numbers, especially when it's the ONLY way to contact them :mad:

ThinkingOfLinking

SFE have lost the same piece of evidence twice, and never bothered to tell me they didn't have it the first time I sent it...it took 6 months of me ASKING constantly to finally get an admission...although they didn't lose the rest of the contents of the envelope at the time; they sent back 1 out of 3 items; 1 other was scanned and fine but they lost it and I need it back and the 3rd vanished inside the envelope as it was never scanned or acknowledged. STILL going through stress and having to work full time to support myself to the detriment of my education as I cannot even apply for the ALF (hardship) or my bursary because I am not currently in receipt of the full loan/grant. Beyond a joke.

gfx_student

caz07 wrote: »

it really doesnt though, we applied online, and because we sent the birth certificate off, we had to send a decleration form with it, they didnt mention that at first only unitl my daughter rang up and asked why her application was being held up, months later, she thought everything was sorted

but it wasnt! until you query it they dont bother telling you!

Caz

Exactly the same happened to me. I tend to ring every other day and speak to someone different, they always say something different from the last person. I spoke to someone on Weds who told me that my old place of study had been contacted and they were waitinng on evidence from them that I had finished a course. When I rang Friday I was told that I had to get a letter from them myself and that they wouldn't of actually contacted the college.

I'm trying to do as much as possible to hurry it along, but I can only send them what they ask from me.