12/13 loan less than 11/12

Shelldean

waqasahmed wrote: »

I just did my calculation here:
http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/calculator/studentfinancecalculator/1213/summary.xhtml

and it seems that the maintenance loan/grant have gone up for me. The maintenance loan was £3829 for this year and the maintenance grant was £2906, giving a total of £6735

The maintenance loan has gone up to £3875, the grant has gone up to £3250 and they seem to have this new thing called "Long courses loan" from 2012 onwards (not sure if I'd get that being a 2011 student), which is £415

This year, I get £6735 in total
Next year, I either get £7125 or £7540 depending if the calculator has taken in to consideration people on the older system

I haven't done my application yet, though will probably do so at Easter

waqasahmed,

sorry to disappoint you but you won't get £3250 grant thats the grant for NEW students not returning ones.

You got the same as my DD last yr £2906 and this yr as we've established is £2984. This is the maximum a returning student can get.

Shelldean

right ok seems I was worried over nothing, mainly thanks to getting differing advice from different advisors.

She is getting the full grant that she as as a returning student is entitled to. This was my main concern as w/o full grant she'll miss out on a small but useful busary. I was also concerned that as we'd put the twins weren't returning to school would make a difference to the amount she'd receive. But apprently it doesn't make any difference. But I will inform them of the change of circumstances anyway.

Am still suprised her loan amount has gone down, but as that appears to be correct not a lot we can do really?

Her Uni is charging the highest it can in tution fees for returning students, but she is entitled to the full amount.

thanks again for putting my mind at rest :T

anon_ymous

Shelldean wrote: »

waqasahmed,

sorry to disappoint you but you won't get £3250 grant thats the grant for NEW students not returning ones.

You got the same as my DD last yr £2906 and this yr as we've established is £2984. This is the maximum a returning student can get.

That's fair enough. Not to be arrogant, but it's not like I need the money either. I'm just annoyed that student finance will give calculations for 2012/13 students, that is easily search-able but it takes forever to find what returning students get

The only way I found out what our tuition fees were by going here (not even my university)
http://www.worcester.ac.uk/documents/tuition-fees-2012-2013.pdf

where it says we're getting charged £3465. Every where else on the net, they just show what new students are going to pay (It affected me, because I have to manually change the tuition fee on the online application)

Shelldean

You're very lucky not having to worry. With DD every penny counts esp as we cant really help with three boys still at home. Not sure where DD found out her tution fee for next yr, I just wrote down what she told me. But apprently she's being charged the maximum they can for a returning student. New student are being charged £8000 eeekkkkk

anon_ymous

Shelldean wrote: »

You're very lucky not having to worry. With DD every penny counts esp as we cant really help with three boys still at home. Not sure where DD found out her tution fee for next yr, I just wrote down what she told me. But apprently she's being charged the maximum they can for a returning student. New student are being charged £8000 eeekkkkk

Surely she should be getting charged £3465 or less? Considering that the maximum fees for this year is £3375 and that's the figure that every one's giving me.

Also, if I did the sums correctly (providing inflation is at 5%), the max grant has gone down by £67.30 in real terms

Sums:
£2906*1.05 = £3051.30
£3051.30 - £2984 = £67.30

Shelldean

waqasahmed wrote: »

Surely she should be getting charged £3465 or less? Considering that the maximum fees for this year is £3375 and that's the figure that every one's giving me.

Also, if I did the sums correctly (providing inflation is at 5%), the max grant has gone down by £67.30 in real terms

Sums:
£2906*1.05 = £3051.30
£3051.30 - £2984 = £67.30

She's been charged £3375 for this yr 11-12 and she's being charged £3465 for next yr 12-13.

The figure of £8000 i quoted was for new students and therefore wont apply to her as a returning student. The uni are charing her the maximum they can as a returning student.

amiehall

Your loan is reduced because (as I've recently discovered) the max loan is kept fixed but the grant does increase each year. The loan is reduced by 50p for every £1 of grant you receive so the extra grant reduces the loan slightly.

anon_ymous

amiehall wrote: »

Your loan is reduced because (as I've recently discovered) the max loan is kept fixed but the grant does increase each year. The loan is reduced by 50p for every £1 of grant you receive so the extra grant reduces the loan slightly.

It seems rather odd that they increase the bursary, as opposed to increasing the loan. I would have thought that the gov't would want some money back from us. Still, I'm not complaining. Just seems rather odd.

Shelldean

waqasahmed wrote: »

It seems rather odd that they increase the bursary, as opposed to increasing the loan. I would have thought that the gov't would want some money back from us. Still, I'm not complaining. Just seems rather odd.

Thanks amiehall kinda makes sense, tho i kinda agree with waqasahmed I would've thought it would be the loan they increase to make sure they get more money back.

hardtoexplain

Students are on different finance packages depending on which year they started university, if I started 3 years later than I did I would be up nearly a grand. Never mind eh?!

So yeah, the calculator doesn't work for continuing.