Student MoneySaving: Funding, Borrowing & Living as a student Article Discussion Area

student_advisor

Just to clarify, you can pick and choose which parts of the funding you want to take, for example, I have some students who only take the maintenance grant as they don't want/need the loans. Some take the grant & tuition fee loan and some take the lot.

You DO NOT need to take either of the loans to be eligible for the maintenance grant.

It is also completely up to you what you do with your funding (apart from the tuition fee loan as this is paid until to the institution).

215HAN

Hi Guys!

I am in need of some help. I took out a Student Loan/Grant for the Year 2008/9 but due to personal issue's I could not continue my Undergraduate course so dropped out in February. However, after sorting out my personal issues I re-applied for 2009/10.

Anyway, my question is can the Student Loans Company request money paid to me back for year 2008/9?? This also include's the grant which was paid to me which I thought you do not need to pay back??

Please advise?

I look forward to your reply.

MrsManda

I think if you have received grants you are not eligible for, such as grants received after you have left your course the SLC may request repayment.
As you have to pay back loans anyway I think it is unusual for them to be reclaimed due to overpayment, however as grants are effectively free money for students, if you have received them when you are ineligible for them then technically you've committed fraud and they can reclaim the money. Or refuse to give you grants when you reapply for finance.

215HAN

I was studying up until February 09 but circumstances came to such a point where I had to drop out in February. No payment to me was made after this date as I notifed my university who then notified SLC. They then have sent a letter requesting £1890.00 and an overpayment of £411.50 to be paid back to them.

As my circumstances got better I re-applied in Sep 09 and applied for a Loan which they have approved and I am receiving a Loan from them.

But I do not understand why they are requesting this amount for a period I was in study up until Feb 09. If they had requested money paid to me after Feb 09 to be paid back as I withdrew in Feb, then that is understandable.

Oldernotwiser

But surely you received a payment which should have covered you well past February? I assume that this is what's needing to be repaid.

215HAN

Yes, I received a payment in Jan which they then sent me a letter stating I was overpaid and to pay back £400 odd pound which I said that's fine and setup a payment plan.

But now they are also requesting money previous to that for £1890 which I'm assuming is the grant. Surely this can't be right??

MrsManda

215HAN wrote: »

Yes, I received a payment in Jan which they then sent me a letter stating I was overpaid and to pay back £400 odd pound which I said that's fine and setup a payment plan. But now they are also requesting money previous to that for £1890 which I'm assuming is the grant. Surely this can't be right??

Presuming you got similar loans/grants to myself, you'd have been paid ~£1700 in loans & £800 in grants for your first term. This is to cover you until January. You have said you also received your January payments. As loans/grants are paid in three almost equal installments this means you again recieved ~£2500 in loans and grants. This is meant to cover you for 3months of your course, as you dropped out in February you were only in university for 1 month and thus presumably they're trying to claim back the 2 months of loans/grants you were paid but not eligible for.
However this is just presumption and you need to contact them to find out exactly what money they want you to pay back and arrange a repayment schedule.

Oldernotwiser

MrsManda wrote: »

Presuming you got similar loans/grants to myself, you'd have been paid ~£1700 in loans & £800 in grants for your first term. This is to cover you until January. You have said you also received your January payments. As loans/grants are paid in three almost equal installments this means you again recieved ~£2500 in loans and grants. This is meant to cover you for 3months of your course, as you dropped out in February you were only in university for 1 month and thus presumably they're trying to claim back the 2 months of loans/grants you were paid but not eligible for.
However this is just presumption and you need to contact them to find out exactly what money they want you to pay back and arrange a repayment schedule.

That was what I was trying to get over but you expressed it better than I did.

waster196

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forums and after a little advice.

My girlfriend is just entering her 3rd year of her Nursing degree. She received a letter in August from the finance people stating she'd continue to receive full bursary for her 3rd year which was around £500 per month. Because of this letter, she decided not to apply for her student loans. Unfortunately she's now received another letter, stating her full bursary would consist of £33 per month!

Does anybody know if at this stage there are any options still open to her to apply for student loans elsewhere? Or does anyone have any other advice?

Unfortunately the only options at the moment is either for her to pull out of her degree and continue on a nursing diploma course (where she will receive the full bursary of around £500 per month) or for me to take out a personal loan and fund her.

Thanks!

jim11115

Hi,

Can anyone tell me what happens with student loan payments if I work in Northern Ireland - but live in the republic of Ireland? I have read somewhere that the repayments are based on the average wage in that country, but I will be earning from the UK and at the minute I only earn £15400 p/a so could not afford more than I pay now. By the time I move my pay will be increased to £18400, this is still well below the Irish average wage.

Thanks.