Student finance on my year abroad?

This summer I'm headed to Germany for my year abroad, and I was just hoping to get a heads-up on any issues I might face re: student finance? I still have to pay half fees to my home uni while I'm over there, and although I have a job secured for part of the time I'll be out there for, I'm definitely going to need some extra cash from student finance to make sure I'm covered for the whole year.

So this might be a slightly pointless thread if there aren't any issues that are likely to crop up, but I just wanted to make sure! Any knowledge offered will be appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

Truby_Liz

Have you applied for Erasmus? They can waive your tuition fees and you can get an Erasmus grant for about £2000-3000 ish. You're not supposed to depend on it but I guess some people do.

I'm having problems with SFE for my work placement(in Austria, woo!), because it's the whole year they're only giving me £2300. However, I originally was going to do half a year studying and half a year working, and I was eligible for about £4500. Apparently if you do a work placement you get less, even though I've seen on many uni's websites that you're supposed to be eligible for the same amount as you would get if you were studying in the UK for that year. It's confusing.

I think with accomodation, you should be able to go into student accomodation, even for your work period. At least that's what my German teacher says, I guess I'll get her to send an angry email to any places that don't let me live there because I'm not studying in Austria. :biggrin:

Reply 2

User237126

Original post by Truby_Liz

Apparently (according to my uni) I can't apply for Erasmus because there are only something like 13 exchange places (12 to Bonn and 1 to Heidelberg) which Oxford has and if I don't apply for one of those (which I didn't as I applied to the British Council (that was the job I thought I'd secured) and the didn't find me a place and are now saying I need to go to Austria or something instead of Germany which would really **** all my plans up) then Erasmus won't give me any money as I'm ineligible and I'll have to pay half feesfor the year.

I'm aiming to live in a WG, which isn't technically student-only accommodation, but they're used by students a lot and are pretty cheap (I found one for 330 euros a month with all bills included :biggrin:

), and with or without the British Council job I'm planning to study at university over there, so I guess I'd be eligible for the extra SFE? Do you know if people on a year abroad are still able to get a grant if they normally do, as well as the fee and maintenance loans?

Reply 3

duracell

Original post by Bobo1234

Before my year abroad, my uni told me as I was doing the Language Assistantship I would pay half tuition fees. However, in applying for Student Finance (Wales, not England), they told me because I was on an Erasmus scheme I wasn't paying tuition fees so gave me no tuition fee loan, even after I explained the whole situation to them. The maintenance loan was slightly reduced due to being on a paid placement.

Reply 4

User237126

Original post by duracell

So basically I should expect SFE to have a conflicting view to my university and have to do even more patient explaining on a premium-rate phone line than I have for the last two years? YES, booyakasha, go Student Finance.

Reply 5

Truby_Liz

Original post by Bobo1234

So some students can get Erasmus from Oxford, right? That means that they have an extended university charter, which is all you technically need to get Erasmus - that and be studying in one of the countries they specify, which Austria is one of them. Try emailing Erasmus http://www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-contact-us.htm they might be able to sort stuff out? Erasmus offers funding for people doing even 3 months in another country, I see no logical reason why you shouldn't be able to get it.

As for grants, I think you should be eligible for them. There was a university which had a whole table of student finance funding for the year abroad, I can't find it any more. >.< I think, though, that it said that you can get the grant. I think.

Original post by duracell

Ugh, SFE still hasn't realised that I'm on an Erasmus placement, so they're trying to give me much less than I should. And according to the uni website I found that I can't find again, you should be able to get at least £3500ish, regardless of if it's means-tested or not. There's an option in the student finance application form to say if you're getting Erasmus or not, maybe you ticked that instead? Or maybe get a letter from your university saying you will be charged half fees so SFW will have to give you a tuition fee loan.

Reply 6

duracell

Original post by Truby_Liz

Well the way I understood it was that the Language Assistantship is both a paid placement and an Erasmus placement - so I wasn't hugely surprised that the maintenance loan was reduced - as I've been earning money as well as getting an Erasmus grant on top.

Reply 7

Truby_Liz

I just rang SFE today - apparently this year if you're going on an Erasmus work placement then you should get about £4000 for the maintenance loan, and that's non-means tested. (I think she said means-tested ones can get up to £7000, the woman's name was Josie something.) Get in contact with Erasmus, though, see if there is any way you can get Erasmus, otherwise you might be stuck with less... And the loan should increased because you're going abroad, regardless of if its a work placement or not.