Student Grant Repayment Issue. Help!

A_J__2-2

Hi, got a prob and was hoping someone who has more knowledge could shed some light after withdrawing. My friend used this place often and told me to come here as it's very helpful.

I was sent a letter from Student finance stating I had a grant overpayment to the tune of roughly £920.

I sent in my change of status form for withdrawl in mid August, I assumed this repayment request was for summer component of the grant? Having called up Student Finance, I got no where, they said nothing but I withdrew in May but, if you have a problem call up the university and sort it with them as they told us this date over and over. They just seemed to want me off the phone rather than even try to explain anything.

I then called Student Loans company who were much more helpful and explained things thoroughly and helped me understand. They informed me that my university had informed them I withdrew in May, and that this was my last date of attendance and it doesn't matter if there's a course or not to attend over the summer. I was asked if I had any resits for the summer I was registered to take and said yes, and was told that if that's the case then you were still registered past May and so what you need to do is contact your university and correct the withdrawl date.

I've been in correspondence with my university and after waiting 17 days (didn't want to badger them but had enough and emailed and then got a response)have sort of got somewhere, I was told they can change my last date of attendance from May to June despite me requesting they inform student finance of correct the date of when I withdrew, the one on the change of status form. I just replied saying I sent off the form to withdraw in Mid August, not May or June, you have the form, and I'm just rather confused tbh. I'm awaiting a response from my uni at this point but was hoping someone could shed some light onto this matter?

olibrofiz

I work at a Uni and, based on where I work, the academic year runs from Sept to July, student finance fund students Sept to Sept.

A common mistake students make when they decide not to continue their studies after their first, or second year, is to give their withdrawal date as the last date of teaching (normally Apr/May time). This means their grades don't go through the exam boards, and no resits are offered.

If you had resits it may be likely that your grades went through the summer exam boards, and if they did you would have received notification of what resits you had to do. While your last date of attendance WOULD have been when teaching stopped (poss May), you completed the academic year if you didn't advise till August that you wanted to withdraw (& you received advice about resits).

They really should have processed your withdrawal from the August date, and put your last date of attendance as the end of the academic year - meaning you were still a student till Aug.

You would still have to pay something back to SF, but less that the amount you quote.

That's all based on where I work, but maybe something to consider.

Taiko

The university notify the term dates to SFE though. SFE are only working with the data they hold.

A_J__2-2

olibrofiz wrote: »

I work at a Uni and, based on where I work, the academic year runs from Sept to July, student finance fund students Sept to Sept.

A common mistake students make when they decide not to continue their studies after their first, or second year, is to give their withdrawal date as the last date of teaching (normally Apr/May time). This means their grades don't go through the exam boards, and no resits are offered.

If you had resits it may be likely that your grades went through the summer exam boards, and if they did you would have received notification of what resits you had to do. While your last date of attendance WOULD have been when teaching stopped (poss May), you completed the academic year if you didn't advise till August that you wanted to withdraw (& you received advice about resits).

They really should have processed your withdrawal from the August date, and put your last date of attendance as the end of the academic year - meaning you were still a student till Aug.

You would still have to pay something back to SF, but less that the amount you quote.

That's all based on where I work, but maybe something to consider.

Thanks for the response olibrofiz, appreciate it a lot.

Well on the form, it asked you to date it and sign it, I put the date, mid August, and signed it. It also states later on the form ' last date of attendance' so I put the last date I attended the course. I'm just confused with all this, last date of attendance is seen as your withdrawl date etc.

Yes, I didn't withdraw until August, and the nice man on the phone from Student Loans said as I was registered past the May date, as I had resits you'd still be considered a student during that time, and said the same as you.

Taiko, I realise that now, the response I got from the university was that they simply inform SFE of the last date of attendance and that is seen as the withdrawl date. I withdrew in August, and asked them to inform SFE that's when I signed the form.

Here's the response I got from my uni

'Student Finance England work from the students last date of attendance always the date you informed the university of the withdrawal would be the date you signed the form but this was just when you informed us not the actual last date of your studies.
Hopefully this will be resolved now.'


Thanks for the posts you two. I will message my university back after the holiday period, as I wanted confirmation about what I was told by Student Loans, as I'm not at all well versed in any of this. Cheers.

A_J__2-2

Well, I told my university that I was informed by Student Loans that my form should be processed from August. I called Student Finance to check if what I was told was correct and they said yes it was. Essentially what olibrofiz said. My university sent this response:

I can confirm we have informed the Student Loans Company that you have withdrawn with effect from 08/2012 and that you last date of attendance was 9/06/2012, the resits you took in August as they well know are not classed as an attendance as you will just attend the exams externally. This is normal practise and please feel free to forward on this email from myself if they need me to confirm again.

I informed them of the dialogue I had with Student finance, and Student Finance suggested that as Taiko states, they simply go by the dates the university informs them however if I was indeed registered past the academic year for August resits, that I should get a letter stating so from my university, forward it to Student Finance and it will go to an assessor. I requested my university do this.

Though, the crux of it feels like they will not change it as there was no classes to attend for resits.. so the last date of attendance is the one they go by..hardly my fault about the no classes bit! Surely if I'm still on their records as registered past July then I was still a student... Not much else I can do it seems : s, though if anyone can explain why students have to bother putting a withdrawal date if the last date of attendance is all that it is ever gone by? That's something I don't really get

I'm being told one thing by one party and the other are saying no this is how it is done.

Taiko

It's always been last date of attendance, or classes if that's how you want to refer it. That's the date that the university notify SFE, and I'm afraid there's no grounds permitted within the regulations to appeal that.

A_J__2-2

Taiko wrote: »

It's always been last date of attendance, or classes if that's how you want to refer it. That's the date that the university notify SFE, and I'm afraid there's no grounds permitted within the regulations to appeal that.

I spoke to 3 different people (student loans + sfe) and they all said it should be processed by August so I'm just going off what I'm being told off the phone really. I'm not aware of the procedure or what is normal practice. I don't want to pester someone ( the person I'm corresponding with at the uni) who may be doing their job correctly but I also do not want this matter to be dealt with incorrectly.

I see, so what I was instructed (the letter) by the guy from student finance is a bit pointless? He said the letter may or may not result in it being changed to August, it's up to the assessor.

Thanks for the reply btw.

Taiko

From experience, and unless SFE have had a radical overhaul of their systems, it wouldn't make a different. The universities list the last day of term being in May/June/July usually, so unless the university had done differently, SFE couldn't override that.

A_J__2-2

So it shouldn't be processed from August then? Is what olibrofiz said and what I was told incorrect? If so, then I'm bloody confused. Each time I've rung up I've clearly asked if what I was told was correct, and I was told yes each time.

Taiko

I believe you have been misinformed. However, if SFE have changed their internal systems, which I haven't accessed since leaving my old local authority position in 2010, then they may be able to date it as August. They'd be wrong to though, as the regulations don't permit it.