Emergency loan, grant, funding benefit

lunasloot

Hello all and new to the forum. I am a single parent of a daughter who has just started at Uni. She applied late and didn't go through clearing. She also applied for her loan late.
The loan has still not come through due to a hold up with paperwork, which if I hadn't rang them I wouldn't have known about. We are now getting threatening letters from the landlord who want A£1500.
She literally has no money, except for the odd few pounds I can send her.
I contacted student finance for an emergency loan and was told because she didn't go through clearing she isn't eligable!
What on earth can she do? I am waiting for paperwork from the tax office which could take upto 2 weeks so we are looking at a wait of at least 4 weeks and there still might be a hold up....help!!

V_Chic_Chick

She will probably be eligible for an Access to Learning grant from the university to tide her over. Tell her to talk to the student services centre (or whatever it's called at her uni).

amiehall

The Access to Learning Fund isn't a crisis loan! The main criteria for ALF access is that you've claimed all of the student finance that you're entitled to which clearly isn't the case here as of yet.

However, the university may help with a crisis loan. It won't be for £1500 though as it will be designed to pay for things like food rather than cover whole rent payments. Your daughter needs to try and communicate openly with her landlord. Hopefully they will be understanding. Has she tried approaching her bank for a student overdraft as this could be used to pay the rent arrears.

lunasloot

Yes she has been to Student Union and I contacted the Uni welfare office. They won't helpher because she didn't go through clearing, can you believe that? She is still in dire straights but they won't help her because she didn't go through Clearing!
Thanks for help

amiehall

Honestly? I can't believe that no. Your daughter is partly responsible for not applying for her loan sooner. However, if she genuinely has no money to pay for essentials such as food and heating day-to-day, her university will help her short-term when provided with evidence a loan has been applied for and bank statements to show the financial hardship.

If the "hardship" is just a failure to pay her rent but she has enough for food and other short-term essential needs then the university are unlikely to help. Has she approached her bank?

I also hope your daughter is engaging with her landlord! 2 months arrears is enough for the landlord to apply to the courts for eviction. That would leave your daughter in a right mess!