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Proof of residency

Hello,

I have been having problems regarding funding since the foundation course I did in University of Greenwich.
I have duo citizenship (Italian/Brazilian) but me and my whole family have lived in Brazil since always. I moved to the UK in December 2011 to study English and get the Cambridge ESOL certificates.
I was already 19 when I started studying on my Cambridge ESOL courses (first lasted from January until June 2012 and the last one lasted from October 2012 until December 2012). In November 2012, I decided I wanted to extend my 'gap year' in the UK so I started applying for a national insurance number and eventually open my own bank account here in April 2013.

I started doing my foundation course in January 2015, as I was not eligible to start undergraduate courses because the educational system in Brazil is different and my grades would not be valid here. As SFE said they do not fund foundation courses, I managed to save money and ask for financial aid from pretty much every relative I had so I managed to pay my course and live the poorest life ever.
When I thought of applying to SFE for my first undergraduate year, they required proof of residence. As I was not planning to stay in the UK in the first year I lived here, I did not have any bill or whatsoever on my name. I rented a room from an agency and used my Brazilian international credit card which was on my mother's name.
The only proof of residence that I had was my courses certificates and letters of attendance. However, they said that as I was over 18, it would be acceptable anyway.
They then told me to apply next year (2016) so I would only need to send evidence from September 2013. Once again I BORROWED money from friends, which it will take me aaaages to repay them back, and worked 72 hours per week to try to fund as much as possible.

Now I am here applying again and all advisors told me the same thing on the phone: that I would only need to send evidence from September 2013.
I've received a letter from SFE requiring evidence from September 2012, which does not make any sense. How on earth people on the same situation as me will ever get funding? I am a low income student and my mother only earns 15k pounds a year. My father abandoned me after he divorced from my mother and I have no contact with him.
Now advisors are asking me to send evidence from my Language School as it would be valid. I am really not understading what is valid and what is not.
I do not know what to do as I am already on my second year and already confirmed a place in Spain for Erasmus. I am truly feeling helpless and lost.
I hope someone can help me.

Thank you
Original post by Gigi1992
Hello,

I have been having problems regarding funding since the foundation course I did in University of Greenwich.
I have duo citizenship (Italian/Brazilian) but me and my whole family have lived in Brazil since always. I moved to the UK in December 2011 to study English and get the Cambridge ESOL certificates.
I was already 19 when I started studying on my Cambridge ESOL courses (first lasted from January until June 2012 and the last one lasted from October 2012 until December 2012). In November 2012, I decided I wanted to extend my 'gap year' in the UK so I started applying for a national insurance number and eventually open my own bank account here in April 2013.

I started doing my foundation course in January 2015, as I was not eligible to start undergraduate courses because the educational system in Brazil is different and my grades would not be valid here. As SFE said they do not fund foundation courses, I managed to save money and ask for financial aid from pretty much every relative I had so I managed to pay my course and live the poorest life ever.
When I thought of applying to SFE for my first undergraduate year, they required proof of residence. As I was not planning to stay in the UK in the first year I lived here, I did not have any bill or whatsoever on my name. I rented a room from an agency and used my Brazilian international credit card which was on my mother's name.
The only proof of residence that I had was my courses certificates and letters of attendance. However, they said that as I was over 18, it would be acceptable anyway.
They then told me to apply next year (2016) so I would only need to send evidence from September 2013. Once again I BORROWED money from friends, which it will take me aaaages to repay them back, and worked 72 hours per week to try to fund as much as possible.

Now I am here applying again and all advisors told me the same thing on the phone: that I would only need to send evidence from September 2013.
I've received a letter from SFE requiring evidence from September 2012, which does not make any sense. How on earth people on the same situation as me will ever get funding? I am a low income student and my mother only earns 15k pounds a year. My father abandoned me after he divorced from my mother and I have no contact with him.
Now advisors are asking me to send evidence from my Language School as it would be valid. I am really not understading what is valid and what is not.
I do not know what to do as I am already on my second year and already confirmed a place in Spain for Erasmus. I am truly feeling helpless and lost.
I hope someone can help me.

Thank you


I'm afraid you've been misadvised or haven't explained your situation well to people.

You needed to meet the residency requirements (3 years in the UK) at the START of your course (so September 1 2015) - you would need to prove residency from September 2012 (the people on the phone might not have understood that you are a continuing student and not a new one). If you can prove this then you should be eligible for full SFE support (tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and would have been eligible for 2015/16 as well - you can apply for 2015/16 up to 9 months after the start of your course so might still be able to apply.

The rules for new students have changed this year to require residency for 5 years prior to the start of the course. But this change wouldn't affect you unless you change your course.

If you can prove residency from September 2012 then apply NOW here: https://logon.slc.co.uk/cas/login?_locale=en_GB&service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.student-finance.service.gov.uk%2Fcustomer%2Fhome%2Fpages%2FmyAccount%2Findex for BOTH 2015/16 and 2016/17 funding.

If you can't prove residency from Sept 2012 then you need to re-start your course and apply as a new student STARTING a course in 2016 - this is what the advisers meant when they said "reapply next year for residency from 2013" - they expected you to take a gap year and start your course in 2016 not to fund your studies for a year.
Hello.

Thanks in advance for any reply.

I've been ask to send evidence of my residence here for the past 3 years. I live in a rented room so the only thing I have in my name is my elections registration, NHS letter with my number and my P60's since I've been here. Is this accepted as evidence?

Thank you very much

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