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Uni wanting £65 for tuition fees???

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Well I am a third year student. Ive just recieved an email off my university wanting £65 off me as they say I only applied for 3225 in tuition fee loan but this years fees are 3290. I applied for the full (most you can get) for my tuition fees but when I try to do change of circumstances online it only lets me have the max which it says is 3225. My loan has always previously covered my tuition fees??? So how come they wont let me have enough to cover this years? As I read the max you can get this year is 3290 not 3225? so why isnt it letting me apply for the max this year? I cannot afford to lose £65, I have just lost my part time job, Im having surgery soon (although I have a job interview next week and actively applying), I am very deep in overdraft due to my maintenence loan not covering my accomodation costs as parents earn too much so i cant claim the max (have to live where I am as disabled so cant move to cheaper accomodation), parents dont input now so I have been living off my job wages. Now Im living off overdraft until I find another job (hopefully with more hours!). I cant cut costs anywhere as I dont drink, go out ever etc, given up any hobbies. I get DLA but it goes to my parents account and they use it to cover petrol costs when i go to hospital etc. Havent shopped other than xmas presents which I bought cheap using this forum and have made other things. Im a bit cross to say the least.
Might as well just quit uni and get a full time job!!!!

Any help appreciated on why it says it will give 3290 here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/DG_171539

but when I try it only lets me have 3225? Parents earnings never affected tuition fees in past, I have always been able to get full amount, just not for maintenence and had assumed I would this year! I will of course ring tomorrow. But has anyone else had this issue?
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Comments

  • Helix
    Helix Posts: 2,381 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    There are two questions one which asks how much your university is charging for tuition fees. If you put £3225 for that question which is looks like you did, even if you select maximum for the loans it will only give £3225 not £3290 as obviously they are not going to give you a loan for more than you say your university is charging.

    You need to try and get them to change the amount your uni is charging for fees to £3290 in your application and the change the loan amount to match.
  • devildog
    devildog Posts: 1,222 Forumite
    Although not relevant to your question I feel that your DLA should be going to your account and not your parents, especially in light of the fact that you do not qualify for the max loan. Just a thought :)
  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    Have you actually tried phoning up student finance and asking them?
  • MrsManda
    MrsManda Posts: 4,457 Forumite
    As Helix said, when you filled out your finance form for 2010/11 you have to put down what your tuition fees will be for that year. If you put £3225 on the basis that is what it was for 2009/10, rather than checking what they are for 2010/11 then you will only been given a loan for that much for your tuition fees.

    You could speak to SFE and ask them to change your tuition fee details and speak to your university to say that you are sorting it out with the SLC and could they wait for awhile whilst it gets sorted.

    Tuition fees don't generally get paid to the university by SFE until February so your university is likely to just be making sure that the full amount will be paid.

    If you live away from home then I think you should be receiving your DLA yourself as it's meant for your care/mobility needs.
  • jayme1
    jayme1 Posts: 2,154 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    surely your parents can afford to go without say £1000/£1500 a year for 3 years, out of their goodness of their heart.

    and I think the DLA is supposed to go to you esp since you are over 16/18 as that money could be very useful to you.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
    jayme1 wrote: »
    surely your parents can afford to go without say £1000/£1500 a year for 3 years, out of their goodness of their heart.
    .

    Parents have a good income and expect petrol money to take their disabled student child to hospital appointments? I've heard it all now!
  • Indie_Kid
    Indie_Kid Posts: 23,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Parents have a good income and expect petrol money to take their disabled student child to hospital appointments? I've heard it all now!

    I admit, I think it's ridiculous too. I've never been asked for petrol money. Change for parking, yes (because they didn't have any) but have never been ask to pay for trips to hospital.
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  • Thanks for the help, I've filled in a change of circumstances form and sent it off, just waiting to hear back now! Had rather a panic moment there!

    My parents arent being tight re. DLA just to clarify. They paid my accomodation for the first year but now expect me to take some responsibility for my own finances and it has been rather a learning curve as with any student, its only fair. My finances arent great, but my debts arent half as bad as say my flatmates' are, because I don't drink/go out and do have paid work when I am able to etc. They have my DLA to stop it being spent on other things - its needed as my hospital is quite a way away from where we live as I see a specialist. It costs them a lot to take the car there (although less than train tickets) and due to my disability I wouldnt want to be going on my own. Therefore the DLA goes to them to look after on my behalf so its there for my medical expenses when needed. If it went into my account it would end up going on accomodation/food and I would be stuck if I needed something related to my disability.
    No Buying Unnecessary Toiletries 2015/2016/2017/2018

    UUs for 2016: 513 In's: 447 UUs for 2017: 207 Ins: 161
    UUs for 2018: In's:
    Self Confessed Lush Addict!
  • Gemzie121 wrote: »
    Thanks for the help, I've filled in a change of circumstances form and sent it off, just waiting to hear back now! Had rather a panic moment there!

    My parents arent being tight re. DLA just to clarify. They paid my accomodation for the first year but now expect me to take some responsibility for my own finances and it has been rather a learning curve as with any student, its only fair. My finances arent great, but my debts arent half as bad as say my flatmates' are, because I don't drink/go out and do have paid work when I am able to etc. They have my DLA to stop it being spent on other things - its needed as my hospital is quite a way away from where we live as I see a specialist. It costs them a lot to take the car there (although less than train tickets) and due to my disability I wouldnt want to be going on my own. Therefore the DLA goes to them to look after on my behalf so its there for my medical expenses when needed. If it went into my account it would end up going on accomodation/food and I would be stuck if I needed something related to my disability.

    Hi Gemzie
    my son is at uni and has a physical disability and travels 150 miles to see his consultant too - however I can honestly say I would NEVER expect him to foot the bill for the petrol - I am disabled too and my hubby doesn't earn a huge amount, but we feel it is OUR responsibility to pay for our son to see his consultant.
    Before he went to Uni I used to keep his DLA and paid for his contact lenses ( £27 per month) and some of his hobbies out of it - but now he is at uni the money goes into HIS account - what he spends it on is up to him -if he chooses to spend it on drinking or going out then he can't use it for anything else - that is the BEST way of teaching him how to budget - you will never learn responsibility until you HAVE to pay for everything yourself and be responsible for your own money.
    My son learnt VERY quickly that once he spent his money- there was nothing else available until his next payment- and I can assure you those 4 weeks living on the bare minimum taught him more about budgeting than if I was "keeping" his money for him.

    I think you should be asking your parents for your DLA money back.
    just my opinion
    Karen
  • MrsManda
    MrsManda Posts: 4,457 Forumite
    To be fair to the OP and their parents, it sounds like the DLA is actually being used for what it is meant to be used for - the additional expense which is incurred due to the OP's disability, rather than for things everyone has to pay for.
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