Grant denied due to SFE mistake. What can I do?

LouiseSwindon

My niece did a year of study and left her course at UWE. She then did really well in a Foundation Course at UWE particularly in the physics module. Even though UWE included the physics module in the foundation year, they didn't offer it as a degree so she managed to get accepted at Queen Mary's London. She went to SFE England for advice and they told her it was fine for her to do this and her grant wouldn't be affected. Cut long story short, she was denied her grant but only after she had started in London. She started in London in the firm belief she was being funded because this is what she was told - several times - I have transcribed months of calls! She was forced to leave the course as she had no money. Now she has been offered another place at Queen Mary's but not only are SFE refusing to take responsibility for issuing the wrong advice; they are now penalising my niece by saying the few weeks she spent in London counts as her dropping out of that year, and she can only claim funding for one more year. She is desperate to do this 3 year degree but there is no way we can find two years of funding. I have a transcript of all the calls we both made, but SFE refuse to acknowledge this. I have been offered one last chance to escalate this but they tell me I am unlikely to get anywhere . 1. How can I make SFE take responsibility, 2, If they refuse, how can we fund 2 years of study?

vlad

My next port of call would be to involve my MP

SuperCat007

LouiseSwindon wrote: »

My niece did a year of study and left her course at UWE. She then did really well in a Foundation Course at UWE particularly in the physics module. Even though UWE included the physics module in the foundation year, they didn't offer it as a degree so she managed to get accepted at Queen Mary's London. She went to SFE England for advice and they told her it was fine for her to do this and her grant wouldn't be affected. Cut long story short, she was denied her grant but only after she had started in London. She started in London in the firm belief she was being funded because this is what she was told - several times - I have transcribed months of calls! She was forced to leave the course as she had no money. Now she has been offered another place at Queen Mary's but not only are SFE refusing to take responsibility for issuing the wrong advice; they are now penalising my niece by saying the few weeks she spent in London counts as her dropping out of that year, and she can only claim funding for one more year. She is desperate to do this 3 year degree but there is no way we can find two years of funding. I have a transcript of all the calls we both made, but SFE refuse to acknowledge this. I have been offered one last chance to escalate this but they tell me I am unlikely to get anywhere . 1. How can I make SFE take responsibility, 2, If they refuse, how can we fund 2 years of study?

The calculation is (length of course +1) - time already spent in HE. So for your niece it'd be 3+1 = 4 -2 = 2 years funding left. So she would only need to fund the first year.

I would contact your MP about it and appeal and escalate as far as you can.

Additionally what they say over the phone is meaningless, most phone advisors have no idea about the rules and SFE always do disregard whatever they say (because it's ****). Appeal and try to get a contact in tier 2 processing (where the decisions on 'complex cases' is made). I was also denied funding by SFE over a mistake they made and they tried to claw back thousands from me, due to said mistake. But in appeal I managed to get out of paying because I had in writing from a previous application from a tier 2 assessor I was entitled to what I got. Don't bother phoning anymore, just appeal and see if you can get your MP involved.