Student finance refused - pls help

ivy66

Hi
I recently received a letter from SF wales rejecting my sons application based on 3yr eligibility. I would like to appeal and need advice.
I'm separated and I've lived in wales and Ireland since 2004 with my kids. My ex got a job abroad in 2012 (for 3yrs)and wanted spend time with his kids as they've always been with me. So my son left sept 2013 and did his A levels and returned in June 2015 hence the rejection on residency. He would visit me for school holidays esp Christmas. I spoke to someone who said I should appeal. This is my first time applying so need advice if this fits ties to uk and not coming back solely for education. Thxs.

agrinnall

You do know that Ireland is not necessarily part of the UK don't you? There's nothing like enough information in your post, you need to tell us where you have been living and when, and where your ex lives.

ivy66

Hi,
Lived in Ireland from 2006 to 2013. Before that wales. Born here.
Ex goes with the job. Lives where he gets a job so moved a lot. Currently in UAE. He currently looking for job as current job about to finish.
I was told Ireland is EU so not a problem.

GothicStirling

When you say that he's been rejected, does that mean for both tuition fees and maintenance, or just maintenance. A quick search of the student finance pages says that EU students aren't eligible for living costs.

ivy66

It says "not eligible to receive student finance because you were not ordinarily resident in wales on first day of which the first term begins"

agrinnall

SF Wales defines "ordinarily resident" as

"where the student usually lives, apart from temporary or occasional absences"

http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/media/8583/sfw_fs_eligibility_1415_en_d.pdf

I'd hazard a guess that their stance is that as your son lived in Ireland from 2006 - 2013 and then in the UAE (or wherever your ex was at the time) he hasn't lived in Wales for the last 9 years he's not eligible. Whether that can be appealed I don't know.

ivy66

Hi
Thanks for all d replies. I guess I'll appeal and see how it goes. Spoke to someone from sfc who said I should appeal based on me being his sole carer and it was my income that was used for his assessment and I had returned to wales 2013 been living here with his other sibling.

traleegirl

Good luck! My son was born in the UK, attended the local primary and secondary school, worked in our local Primark from 16 and completed the first year of university (with full SF) On entering his second year, SF decided that he needed to prove residency because both his parents were Irish. In the end, we sent every payslip, bank statement, school report we could find from the age of 16.....they came back with a 'there is no evidence that your son was resident during April 2013, can you provide evidence please?' In the end I had get a letter from my son's secondary school proving his attendance during April 2013.
This issue was not sorted until January, by which time my son had been back at university for five months but they would not make any payments to him. The university were very good at helping with short term loans and we had to pay his rent but it was a soul destroying process and completely unnecessary. (a simple check on his NI number would have shown him working from the day after his 16th birthday until the day he left for uni, but apparently that's not possible!)