Student Finance won't help me out when I need it?

Lilys-Games

As others have said, does he understand that providing his information doesn't obligate him to support you? It's just so SF can work out what they can give you as a loan. They can't force him or anyone else to provide for you after that, so it does seem a little strange that he won't fill in his info.

Can you speak to him and explain that giving the information would help you, and nothing else is expected of him by SF (or you) after that?

With using your savings, I understand you don't want to, but its not like you are spending it on frivolous things- its your education after all. University can be really expensive, especially when you only get the minimum loan and have to make up the cost yourself. You shouldn't feel guilty if you have to use it, it doesn't sound like your grandma would mind and plenty of students will be in a similar situation of having to dip into savings.

Jlawson118

missbiggles1 wrote: »

How can you even consider taking money from the hardship fund when you admit you have savings?

The savings is technically in my grandmas name, but signed for me. She holds the bank book, and if I ask her for the money, then she'll keep it there and give me it out of her own pocket because that's who she is. But she's already spent an absolute fortune on me and I always feel so guilty when she buys me things, so I just simply don't want to ask for access to that account, because I know what she's like..

Seriously, she just bought me a £5700 car, put £2000 towards the insurance. Last year she bought me a £2000 MacBook Pro. I feel like I owe her big time without asking for money and her giving me it out of her own pocket..this happened last year when I ran out of loan, needed to borrow £100 from it, my grandma just gave me it, showed me my bank book without a £100 deduction.

The only savings I have access to myself, I have £8 in it.

Jlawson118

Bogalot wrote: »

Then he explains that. He gives figures for last year and explains his income will be much lower this year, and estimates accordingly.

He's not the first person that finds himself in this situation. I don't understand why he is being so difficult.

Ugh, I don't know why he's being so difficult either. Although there's other personal things going on for him at the moment, things I don't really want to get involved with and mention here. Although after the other day when Student Finance pretty much wiped their hands of me with that letter, he became to feel guilty. He's cutting down a lot of costs to help give me money to live from. His heart is in the right place

Poppy9

Jlawson118 wrote: »

Seriously, she just bought me a £5700 car, put £2000 towards the insurance. Last year she bought me a £2000 MacBook Pro. I feel like I owe her big time without asking for money and her giving me it out of her own pocket..this happened last year when I ran out of loan, needed to borrow £100 from it, my grandma just gave me it, showed me my bank book without a £100 deduction.

The only savings I have access to myself, I have £8 in it.

Is this a wind up? Are you living at home or away?

Your step father may feel as he's not your birth father he doesn't have to support you, especially when you have blood family giving you huge sums of money. As he's not a blood relative why should he have to give his info. to student finance.

My DD spent 3 years living away from home at uni. She didn't a car as she couldn't afford insurance and petrol. She "survived" with buses and mainly walking. Your Gran has wasted £10k on you, almost double the annual max loan for outside London if not living with parents. This would have seen you through year 2 and 3 easily with you getting the min. loan.

A car is a luxury, an Imac is a luxury. Wasting money on on both was foolish so now you have to work. Sorry to be harsh but you need to wake up and realise when a student you can't have your cake and eat it.

Jlawson118

Poppy9 wrote: »

Is this a wind up? Are you living at home or away?

Your step father may feel as he's not your birth father he doesn't have to support you, especially when you have blood family giving you huge sums of money. As he's not a blood relative why should he have to give his info. to student finance.

My DD spent 3 years living away from home at uni. She didn't a car as she couldn't afford insurance and petrol. She "survived" with buses and mainly walking. Your Gran has wasted £10k on you, almost double the annual max loan for outside London if not living with parents. This would have seen you through year 2 and 3 easily with you getting the min. loan.

A car is a luxury, an Imac is a luxury. Wasting money on on both was foolish so now you have to work. Sorry to be harsh but you need to wake up and realise when a student you can't have your cake and eat it.

The thing is, I'm studying media, which involved photography and a lot of video work, as well as I'm actually trying to work for myself. A car allows for me to travel places and transport equipment, therefore making project work easier and when it comes to actually working, I have access to a car. And I live in a little village, the buses are really unreliable. I spent my first year being late to classes often when a bus didn't turn up when it should have, even nearly missing exams. That's where the car comes into the picture..

The MacBook is to run the software that I use on..she's doing all of this for my future and education. It might be costing a lot of money, but that isn't the point here. And oh yeah, I am living at home.

sheramber

I tis few years since my son went to uni but he lived at home and travelled by bus.

He was able to claim back his bus fares at the end of each term.

He was studying art and design and had to carry a large art portfolio on the bus and then walk 1/2 mile. He had no option.

asajj

You say your stepdad feels guilty yet he will not fill to forms so you can get support? Not sure how this works. You need to explain him properly why you need him to fill the forms. If he doesn't earn much or anything at all, he just writes that. He can't be the first person who lost a job.

Are you sure you explained him well enough? You seem to avoid to answer that bit.

Jlawson118

asajj wrote: »

You say your stepdad feels guilty yet he will not fill to forms so you can get support? Not sure how this works. You need to explain him properly why you need him to fill the forms. If he doesn't earn much or anything at all, he just writes that. He can't be the first person who lost a job.

Are you sure you explained him well enough? You seem to avoid to answer that bit.

I've been explaining it none stop for the past year. he doesn't believe in places like this stalking his income and bank accounts and everything so he refuses. He doesn't care how much this impacts me, he just doesn't want them prying on his personal life.
But instead, he tries to help me out in his own way

missbiggles1

Jlawson118 wrote: »

The savings is technically in my grandmas name, but signed for me. She holds the bank book, and if I ask her for the money, then she'll keep it there and give me it out of her own pocket because that's who she is. But she's already spent an absolute fortune on me and I always feel so guilty when she buys me things, so I just simply don't want to ask for access to that account, because I know what she's like..

Seriously, she just bought me a £5700 car, put £2000 towards the insurance. Last year she bought me a £2000 MacBook Pro. I feel like I owe her big time without asking for money and her giving me it out of her own pocket..this happened last year when I ran out of loan, needed to borrow £100 from it, my grandma just gave me it, showed me my bank book without a £100 deduction.

The only savings I have access to myself, I have £8 in it.

So even coming from a family with plenty of money to help you, you'd rather take money from those who have no other option but to use the hardship fund?

Poppy9

Jlawson118 wrote: »

T

It might be costing a lot of money, but that isn't the point here. And oh yeah, I am living at home.

It absolutely is the point. You didn't need a £6k car. You live at home and I'm guessing you don't pay board. So with the minimum loan for a student not based on parental income and living at home it's over £3k per academic year. So that's £300 a month. From this you spend a third on petrol. £50 a week for socialising and any other uni expenses is what most students are living on.

My DD lived away. Rent was £400 per month, bills another £50. Plus food, travel, books etc. Student loan didn't cover all this as she had to pay rent for 12 months a year. We helped her out but not by giving her a £6k car to make it easier for her to get to Uni, supermarket, travel home etc. Yes public transport is unreliable but knowing this she just had to set off early. She finished uni with money still in her bank account as she knew she had to live within her means.

You are coming across as spoilt. You have a gran who gave you almost £10k in one year and you are annoyed that Student Finance won't bail you out too. Student finance are not going to change their mind, they have rules and that's it.

You need to learn to budget, to make a packed lunch to take to uni. etc.