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

Lilys-Games

People don't support you pathetically trying to take hardship money you don't need or deserve and that makes them impolite :rotfl: right mate.

Jlawson118

Lilys-Games wrote: »

People don't support you pathetically trying to take hardship money you don't need or deserve and that makes them impolite :rotfl: right mate.

I felt genuinely bad for you when I read your OP, but as the thread has gone on you've just revealed yourself to be spoilt, dependent and with no concept of managing money, living within your means or taking criticism. You want to be an adult? The last three things are part and parcel of it - yet you've ignored everyone in this thread who hasn't told you what you want to hear unless it's to make yet more excuses.

Grow up. Learn the value of money. Realise how f-ing lucky you actually are to be in the situation you are in. Stop taking cash from your grandma for things you don't need - you are 20 years old for goodness sake, you want something, earn it! I'm two years older than you, had a very different life, and right now you're making me glad for it.

At the end of the day, I've mentioned previously that my money has mostly been spent on university things, the thing that's confused people into thinking I'm spending money stupidly is my thread regarding the difference in the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface. By no means did I state I was just going to run out and buy one straight away, I just wanted to hear some opinions on which works better for people, to hear some honest opinions seen as the adverts for the Surface are always snidely saying "Oh you can't do that with Apple"

I might have luxury items bought for me by my family without me asking for them, but they're gifts, I'm hardly going to sell them to support university when they're helping me with my work at university. It doesn't mean I'm rich now. I have a savings account that my grandma holds for me but each time I ask her for the money, she tells me I can have it any time but then changes the subject and never really allows for it, then gives me something out of her own pocket. I don't want to live like this.

Hell my family have paid for everything for me, and I've told them for this past year I want to start becoming more independent, by stopping my mum and step-dad paying for my phone contract, paying my way in most things since I started university. Nobody knows me or really sees the effort I'm making in real life. Something cropped up today regarding a trip for university. Can I afford to go? No. Is everybody else who's getting larger amounts of student finance and all these grants able to go? Oh yes.

It's wrong that student finance work out your eligibility from your household income, it's pretty much like they're suggesting that if your parents are rich then they can pay for you, rather than giving everybody equal opportunities. But it is how it is and I can't argue with that, but frankly my family struggles as well, I struggle. My grandma might have her savings but it's not right of me to go to her every time I have money troubles. The only reason I'm short now is due to buying things for university such as books, trips, other essentials to my learning. Yes I could budget better I'll admit, but there's only so much a person can afford when given the absolute bare minimum due to my parent's income and my step-dad's attitude towards putting his details down. I can't change the way he thinks, I can't change anything.

I've made the effort to find myself a job to get some money in, I could have sponged all the more and started claiming as many benefits as I wanted like many people do out there, but instead I'm actually making an effort and I'm out there looking. I'll be working for a few weeks over the Christmas period that will help a lot, nobody seems to appreciate the efforts I am putting in..

Lilys-Games

If you could claim any extra benefits or student funding, I'm sure you would. There is no need for the sly digs about students on higher loans and 'spongers' when, no offence, that's basically what you are doing.

The ins and outs of how Student Finance calculate their funding are not relevant right now, because even though you are on the minimum loan, you have no bills or responsibilities, besides your car and phone contract, which are both your choice to have. Even on the minimum loan, you would be better off than a lot of students, even a lot of people who work full-time, if you just managed it properly.

You've come across as very whiny and self-pitying on this thread. Even above - why should I 'appreciate' your efforts of getting a part time job? It's great that you have got one don't get me wrong, but speaking as a fellow student who also works, it doesn't make you anything special.

I honestly thought for the first page or so that you were genuinely struggling for food and to keep a roof over your head. Turns out you live at home rent-free because your stepdad pays extra to allow you to do this, and you've actually spent a considerable amount of money over the last year on things that lots of people cannot afford to have. There's nothing wrong with owning a car or Apple products, and I don't think you should sell things that were given to you as gifts, but equally you cannot expect people to feel sorry for you when you've made conscious lifestyle choices and this has left you struggling to pay for other things and pleading poverty. People have tried to give you advice and a realistic picture of how most students live but because it isn't in the form of sugar coated commiserations you don't want to know.

As somebody said above, you have a supportive family who are there and willing to help you the best they possibly can. You don't have disposable income right now, but you aren't struggling - there is a huge difference. You will be fine until your January loan comes in, honestly. Then how you get to university and what you spend you money on is totally your choice, but sometimes you can't have it all.

Jlawson118

Lilys-Games wrote: »

If you could claim any extra benefits or student funding, I'm sure you would. There is no need for the sly digs about students on higher loans and 'spongers' when, no offence, that's basically what you are doing.

The ins and outs of how Student Finance calculate their funding are not relevant right now, because even though you are on the minimum loan, you have no bills or responsibilities, besides your car and phone contract, which are both your choice to have. Even on the minimum loan, you would be better off than a lot of students, even a lot of people who work full-time, if you just managed it properly.

You've come across as very whiny and self-pitying on this thread. Even above - why should I 'appreciate' your efforts of getting a part time job? It's great that you have got one don't get me wrong, but speaking as a fellow student who also works, it doesn't make you anything special.

I honestly thought for the first page or so that you were genuinely struggling for food and to keep a roof over your head. Turns out you live at home rent-free because your stepdad pays extra to allow you to do this, and you've actually spent a considerable amount of money over the last year on things that lots of people cannot afford to have. There's nothing wrong with owning a car or Apple products, and I don't think you should sell things that were given to you as gifts, but equally you cannot expect people to feel sorry for you when you've made conscious lifestyle choices and this has left you struggling to pay for other things and pleading poverty. People have tried to give you advice and a realistic picture of how most students live but because it isn't in the form of sugar coated commiserations you don't want to know.

As somebody said above, you have a supportive family who are there and willing to help you the best they possibly can. You don't have disposable income right now, but you aren't struggling - there is a huge difference. You will be fine until your January loan comes in, honestly. Then how you get to university and what you spend you money on is totally your choice, but sometimes you can't have it all.

You make a valid point there, but the bit about not having responsibilities is questionable. My main responsibility here is university, and it does cost money.

Now don't get me wrong, I know there's worse people out there than me, and I should know because my girlfriend is in such a worse situation than me, she's from Bulgaria and her family refuse to support her and help her completely because they're selfish. They control her and won't let her have a life, and she's absolutely penniless. She wouldn't even have a roof over her head now if it wasn't for me and my family helping out last year, again, somebody else my grandma has come to help out, otherwise my girlfriend even admitted she'd be selling her body on the streets, because she was nearly at that last year..she was so skinny because she was starving herself, had a horrible landlord and the house she was living in was so unsafe.

So finances do hit me hard, especially when somebody like her who I love and care about so much is in such a worse position than myself.

Claiming benefits myself is the last thing I'd ever want to do, and I admitted this to my step-dad in a heart to heart a few nights ago, and yeah it is the reason I've looked for work because I'd rather work for my money than claim from the government. I've been close to quitting university so many times to get a full time job because I feel it would be more beneficial financially. And yes I have luxuries like a car, though like I've said before, regardless of my grandma buying me it, I'd have bought one myself, and running it is no more expensive than travelling on the bus or renting a flat or something in the local area.
Last year I was awarded a scholarship from university of £2000 which allowed me to use for university but with me not having it this year, I've just found it to be a struggle. But I aim to work hard at my job and start saving money again, it's just been a busy month since I started back in my second year

Lilys-Games

Some of the comments you made about hardship and scrounging really got to me, but I was needlessly nasty to you earlier, and for that I really do apologise.

I'm sure you will be fine with your family around, they clearly care about you a lot. Good luck with the rest of your degree.

Jlawson118

Lilys-Games wrote: »

Some of the comments you made about hardship and scrounging really got to me, but I was needlessly nasty to you earlier, and for that I really do apologise.

I'm sure you will be fine with your family around, they clearly care about you a lot. Good luck with the rest of your degree.

By no means did I mean anything offensive by scrounging or anything, it's just the way some people have spoken on here and referred to it as that. I know people have it worse than me, I know people have it better than me. But the comments on here made out that I was cheating the benefit system and that I don't deserve a penny of what I've got.

I've mentioned I don't want to be on benefits, but who does really? I mean any of us in our right mind knows that it's wrong to just scrounge from the system and it's our duty to work and earn money for ourselves, the benefit system is there for emergencies if there's really a struggle, and by no means do I ever think bad of that. The only times I think bad of people on benefits or hardships or whatever, are the people who cannot be bothered working and just claim. It's just that I'd mentioned it on here a few times to show that I'm actually making an effort to find a job and pay my own way, my argument was that some people wouldn't, some people would just empty their bank and suddenly start looking for as many benefits as they can get to grips on. At least I can say I emptied my bank account and straight away looked for a job. So I hope you can see where I was coming from there, I didn't mean any offence.

Yes I've made mistakes, bought things I don't really need and I definitely do need to budget a lot better than I am doing. But I don't even go out drinking or partying like most people in university do, my money goes on funding my education.

But I do accept your apology. At the end of the day I've said things here that I shouldn't have and I have probably acted a little spoilt, but I just wondered what my options are, because the reason I don't ask my grandma for access to the account she has for me, is because she gives me it out of her own pocket and that's not right, I don't want to feel like I have to owe her back because I already do feel like that with the things she's bought me, I should be spending my own money but she doesn't want me touching it because she feels if I spend it now and need it in the future it won't be there..But in that respect, I apologise too.

But like I said, I do accept your apology, and I wish you the best with whatever you're doing now too :beer:

Starrystarrynight1

Can you ask your Nanna for your own access to the savings account she has for you, maybe a cashcard? Then she won't be taking it from her own purse when you ask and you might not feel so bad? It may mean moving funds to an instant access account depending which type of account the funds are in, but the interest bearing accounts don't seem to be paying much nowadays anyway.

I can see you've perceived the replies you have received as being critical, but you are wrong to blame SF for not giving you more. Those as the rules they operate under, laid down by the government, and the only person holding up extra finance is your step-dad. If your step-dad has paid all the tax he owes, then he has no need to fear declaring his income to SF. They just electronically confirm the figure declared with HMRC's records.

Hope you get it all sorted.

marcrodrick

Hey J, I have been through the same. My student loan was not approved either so that's what you can do a few things:
1. Do not listen to those making negative comments about you and how you live your life. They have not contributed to your actual post, have they?
*** So you must separate the good from the bad on here *** we will have to meet those now and then.
2. Do not give up. Apply it again, do it over and over and it will happen eventually. As this year some good efforts from the government in trying to invest and incentive the education for all in place to help students between the ages 19-24.
There is plenty happening within internships, placements, and apprenticeship. Read on Levy Scheme to start you off.
3. Be resilient and mean well.
Good luck.

Jlawson118

Starrystarrynight1 wrote: »

Can you ask your Nanna for your own access to the savings account she has for you, maybe a cashcard? Then she won't be taking it from her own purse when you ask and you might not feel so bad? It may mean moving funds to an instant access account depending which type of account the funds are in, but the interest bearing accounts don't seem to be paying much nowadays anyway.

I can see you've perceived the replies you have received as being critical, but you are wrong to blame SF for not giving you more. Those as the rules they operate under, laid down by the government, and the only person holding up extra finance is your step-dad. If your step-dad has paid all the tax he owes, then he has no need to fear declaring his income to SF. They just electronically confirm the figure declared with HMRC's records.

Hope you get it all sorted.

By no means was I blaming or having a go at student finance, I was more just asking what my next step on somehow getting finances may actually be.
And in terms of asking my grandma for access to the account, I do ask her for access but that is when she gives me it out of her own pocket. I'm forever asking her if I can get in there or transfer it to my First Direct savings account but she just doesn't..and I have no control over that

Lingua

Hello!

I'm a 2nd year myself. Luckily I get full student loan/grant and a stipend from my family so I'm comfortable for funds.

This is going to sound very abrupt, however: is your biological dad still alive? The reason being, as your parents are divorced you can choose which parent to use when reporting income. So, if your dad is alive (again, sorry for the directness!), you can use his financial details.

In my case, parents are divorced but both earn below the minimum threshold anyway so it wasn't an issue. Some people I know have one parent living on minimum wage and another earning 100k+, but they still get full SF. There are always loopholes apparently!

Sidenote: Don't worry about people commenting on your choice of purchasing Apple products or having a car. As a media student you need a device that has enough processing power and while Apple products are terribly overpriced and typically underpowered, they also have a lot of programs dedicated to your field. If the car helps you to attend lectures and not fall behind, it's expensive but sometimes it's necessary.

Lingua