Can't pay compulsory field trips

StudentDaddy · 27 May 2011 at 11:10PM

I am in my third year of university, actually finished all exams just waiting to graduate. I have an outstanding debt with Exeter University of £420 for a field trip I needed to go on to complete my degree. I applied for the access to learning fund with all the relevant details of my situation (married, two kids, hardly working, rent to pay etc) gave me a lousy £250 that just covered the costs of food for the 10 days that I had to be away.
The conundrum is I will not be able to graduate until the debt is cleared, I have a job starting in July but the debt needs to be cleared before then and I have no means of getting the extra money.

I am wondering if anybody knows any loopholes or extra sources of funding that are hidden away anywhere. Surely if a trip is compulsory and a student cannot pay before graduation there is a way to postpone the debt payment/make the university pay?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

melancholly · 27 May 2011 at 11:18PM

hmm... difficult if you've already done ALF..... have you spoken to anyone in your department or in student services? there isn't anything obvious on the funding search page on the exeter website.

(although i'm not sure how £250 only covered food?)

Oldernotwiser · 27 May 2011 at 11:20PM

You paid £25 a day for food?

I don't think that £250 towards a £420 trip is unreasonable.

celyn90 · 27 May 2011 at 11:29PM

If you have finished all your exams and are waiting to graduate, maybe you could look at temping until your job starts in July.

Angela · 27 May 2011 at 11:40PM

£25 a day on food wish I had that for me and other half a day

kazzah60 · 28 May 2011 at 12:20AM

so you can't find ANY way of earning £170 between now and July????

I find it hard to believe that you can't find ANY way to pay £170 in the next 4-6 weeks
a saturday job?
pub job?
cleaning job?
supermarket job?
there must be SOME work near where you live

whitewing · 28 May 2011 at 12:26AM

I can't believe the trip was sprung on you, so you should have budgeted accordingly. I sincerely hope you pay it being as you accepted a contribution towards it.

Having said that, what's done is done (food money!!).

As you have a new job lined up, I suggest you speak to the Student Finance Office and see if you can make an arrangement to pay it back after your job starts. They may not be keen to give you your degree until then (sounds very sensible to me).

Failing that, can't you sell some stuff eg your textbooks etc to raise some cash?

Oldernotwiser · 28 May 2011 at 9:41AM

I agree about selling something, either textbooks or general stuff on Ebay or car boots.

StudentDaddy · 28 May 2011 at 10:55AM

Thanks for the responses,

£250 for food was a little vague, I had to drive to London from Cornwall before and after to meet the group (this was expected by all students, was mid easter so most people available to lift share were not around, all back in their part of UK), roughly £100 in petrol. That left more or less £120 for 10 days self catering, I don't think that that £12/day is that extravagant. I might consider selling some things on ebay/carboot, I do work as much as I can to pay for rent and food for the flat we live in, and this just about covers everything. Wife is 8 months pregnant at the moment and has bad sciatica so struggling doing more hours as have children to look after.

The trip will be paid, somehow, as everything else always is. It is just a real stretch to do it, 'asi es la vida!'. I was just wondering if anybody had any real insight into this topic that would have taken a little pressure off.

Thanks again.

Artytarty · 28 May 2011 at 2:44PM

Ask a family member for a loan? You have work lined up so they would be sure of getting it back over an agreed period of time.
I agree selling off something is a good idea.
Try looking on your local Gumtree, sometimes people want some work/labour done for a small job.Like garden clearing or decorating. that way you are less tied down regarding you wife and children.
I think you can do this!

whitewing · 28 May 2011 at 3:02PM

Ok your explanation of costs sounds better.

It still sounds like there may be some scope for reducing your family grocery budget. We have just started on this plan :http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/index.html
which arose from a thread on MSE. Have to say it is brilliant so far. Husband was not in favour but we have been very pleasantly surprised with the taste and its ease.

Can't pay compulsory field trips

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