Overpayment of Student Grant

Caroline_a

My daughter has received a letter from the Student Loans Company to say that she was overpaid a student grant in 08/09 by £770. She has gone round and round to try to find out why she owes it, and has been told that it was something to do with the P60 I sent in.

Does anybody know what level of salary I would have had to have that year for her not to qualify for a full grant towards her fees? She began university in 2005, took a year out in 2007 and split her final year between the last 2 years.

Complicated, I know but can anyone help?

MrsManda

If she split her final year between 08/09 and 09/10 was she part-time?

Caroline_a

No, how it worked was that she was doing a double subject degree, and because of a scholarship system she did half lectures and exams each year, but was still classed as fulltime.

Oldernotwiser

I'm a bit confused about your comment regarding getting a grant for her fees as nobody gets a grant for this. Could you clarify what funding she's actually received?

Had she spent any time in HE before this?

Taiko

As much as I want to help in this, it sounds a bit similar to a case I'm dealing with currently.

I don't think it is, but until I clarify on my own case tomorrow, I don't want to really help on this one, due to a potential conflict of interest. Other people are along the right lines though, bar that starting in 2005 would actually get a fee grant for all years.

I think I do know what's happened, but as I say I'd rather not answer it tonight.

Caroline_a

Thanks everybody for your comments. Yes, she did get a grant towards her fees, and it came from the local authority, although was paid via her student loan (so she didnt see it as a separate amount apart from on paper). She spoke to the SLC yesterday who apparently said 'yes you owe it, you have to pay it', but I (being a little older and wiser ) wanted a breakdown, that nobody seems prepared to give!

The thing is, my salary during the whole time she was at uni didnt vary much at all, apart from a short period when I was unemployed - probably about 6 weeks. I am fairly sure that she received this grant (the maximum) for the whole time she was there - so why did she owe on this particular year?

Oldernotwiser

Taiko wrote: »

I don't think it is, but until I clarify on my own case tomorrow, I don't want to really help on this one, due to a potential conflict of interest. Other people are along the right lines though, bar that starting in 2005 would actually get a fee grant for all years.
.

A grant rather than a loan - that's what I was querying.

Caroline_a

I found this on 118 Student:

Maintenance Grants

From 2006 the UK Government introduced maintenance grants to help with living expenses of up to £2,835 per year to new full-time undergraduate students from lower income households. The grant is available to English and Welsh students and does not have to be re-paid.

The level of grant will reduce if your family income increases. UK students from families with an income of less than £25,000 are likely to receive the full grant. Partial grants are available for those with family incomes between £25,000 and around £50,000.

I really can't understand this, as my income around this time was near the £25,000 mark anyway. So where does £770 owing come from??

Taiko

You won't be on those thresholds. They apply only to students who were beginning university for the first time in 08/09 (i.e. had no previous study).

I've checked my case, and it's not the same, as my one wouldn't have began until 2008. My assumption is that there's been an assessment in error, putting the student onto the new system of support and awarding a maintenance grant/fee loan instead of fee grant/HE Grant. The HE grant is the old system version of the maintenance grant, and is capped at £1000. The thresholds to be entitled to this are a lot lower though.

Without being able to see paperwork or any other details, I cannot confirm this is the case.

MrsManda

Is it the Higher Education Grant or the Tuition Fee Grant they want repaying?

Direct.gov.uk HERE says that for 09/10 and 10/11 the HE Grant (for people who started before 2006) household income levels are:

£16,750 or less: £1000 (full grant)
£16,751 - £22,735: Partial grant
£22,736 or more: No grant


(I know they're asking for 08/09 but I thought it may be worth using this as a guide)

Taiko

Shouldn't be the fee grant, as that's something the university would be involved in chasing if the student hadn't taken a fee loan for the remainder.