[FM08]

I got just enough student loan to cover my accomodation. My accomodation is £1029 for the first term ... I can't remember what I received in my student loan but it was no more than £100-£200 more at a guess ... of which has gone by now as you can imagine!

I get no money from parents, and am currently dipping into my personal savings and my overdraft.

I have yet to receive this damn grant/bursary of in total should be £3606 alltogether. The last I knew the final pieces in the jigsaw were slowly being put together ... last I know was that one last thing needed to be done, a letter sent or something as simple as that. This was about over a month ago! Since then we have not heard from them. I'm getting sick and tired of this joke now and no longer is it a joke for me.

Where is my kitchen knife and where are their offices???

Is anyone else still waiting for their grants?!

[Steeps]

I'm still waiting to know if my LEA will fund my resit (joint fault between uni and myself) otherwise I'm going to get an £11k bill on my doorstep. This should be fun!

[Gemmiewren]

I'm in exactly the same position. I called them yesterday and demanded to know when I was getting it cos they keep fobbing me off. They once again said they didn't know for sure. I said will it be in November the guy goes "hopefully" I go "right, let's put it this way..will I get it before xmas"?..he goes "hopefully"
Absolute effing shambles..they need to get more people on the case..even if it's just temps.

Have you tried your uni? Mine was really good and issued me with an emergency loan (which is long gone) but it did me for a few weeks. x

[Baz1990]

i got mine almost 5/6 weeks ago, how long will it be till your totally skint

You could try to apply to your uni's peasant fund

[neo_2009]

Originally Posted by Gemmiewren

I'm in exactly the same position. I called them yesterday and demanded to know when I was getting it cos they keep fobbing me off. They once again said they didn't know for sure. I said will it be in November the guy goes "hopefully" I go "right, let's put it this way..will I get it before xmas"?..he goes "hopefully"
Absolute effing shambles..they need to get more people on the case..even if it's just temps.

Have you tried your uni? Mine was really good and issued me with an emergency loan (which is long gone) but it did me for a few weeks. x

I know what you're saying Gemmiewren but really SFE needed to throw more people at the problem back at the start of the year when they first realised that there were going to be problems

You see, it take several months to train someone up to process the applications as some of the student finance rules can be a bit complicated and the software takes quite a bit of getting used to

Trust me (as I have been in a similar position before) training temps now would actually take experienced staff away from their processing duties and would slow things down rather than improve them

I am still shocked that it is going to take until Xmas though.

This is far worse than I ever thought it was going to be

[eurydice333]

I haven't got my loan yet :[ I've been ringing SAAS up and emailing and using loads of credit but i'm on hold for ever. It'd probably be cheaper and more helpful to go straight to the offices in Edinburgh >.<

Surely by now they should be prepared for a build up of applications at autumn time...?

[Gemmiewren]

Yes your right Neo, it's just so frustrating. I tried to apply for the access to learning fund at uni the other day and they told me I had to have recieved my student loan first..nothing short of hillarious.

[manderton]

at least you've had some money!

i applied beginning of may, and still waiting to be assessed!!! took them almost 14 weeks to process my birth certificate!!

now i'm ringing every 7-10 days and being told I should here something within next 7-10 days - yeh right, not going to get it before xmas tbh.

[Llynus]

Seems alot of people are in a similar situation.

I have access to £4.47 and a bag of rice until January. What makes it worse is I need to buy glasses as I can barely read the lecture slides, I need to buy textbooks (that arn't available in the Library), I need to get my bike repaired, and I don't qualify for the uni hardship fund. Fun fun fun.

[Gemmiewren]

It's a joke, I have a 3 year old daughter and I am in my third year. As if I don't have enough to stress about. All this money trouble is just completely over taking what should be important this year. Right now I can't even afford to get to uni. I commute 2 times a week each time it costs £17.00. When I'm in uni I have to pay £40.00 per week for nursery fees..the list is endless...and on top of all this my mortgage and bills. I have never been so bloody stressed and poor

[Boho Patch]

Originally Posted by Llynus

Seems alot of people are in a similar situation.

I have access to £4.47 and a bag of rice until January. What makes it worse is I need to buy glasses as I can barely read the lecture slides, I need to buy textbooks (that arn't available in the Library), I need to get my bike repaired, and I don't qualify for the uni hardship fund. Fun fun fun.

Have you done your HC1 form for things like glasses? it can take a few weeks to get assessed but if you are successful you may qualify for other benefits, such as dental, maybe?
If i may ask, why did they say you are not entitled to the hardship fund?

Surely you will qualify for something even from the ALF?


You know i`m so fed up of reading about how students live it up and drinking and partying all the time when most students do not even have enough FOOD!

The ALF asi am aware is specifically to help people who might otherwise not be able to stay in uni, so you should really find out because if you cant read without glasses and you havent got any food, how on earth are you supposed to maintain yourself @uni?

Grrr!! GOOD LUCK!

[crazyspacemonkey]

Have you all got yourselves student overdrafts?

[sandettielightvessel]

Originally Posted by neo_2009

I know what you're saying Gemmiewren but really SFE needed to throw more people at the problem back at the start of the year when they first realised that there were going to be problems

You see, it take several months to train someone up to process the applications as some of the student finance rules can be a bit complicated and the software takes quite a bit of getting used to

Trust me (as I have been in a similar position before) training temps now would actually take experienced staff away from their processing duties and would slow things down rather than improve them

I am still shocked that it is going to take until Xmas though.

This is far worse than I ever thought it was going to be

This is exactly the thing - throwing people at the problem isn't effective unless you do it early enough. However, saying "we're getting n extra staff" sounds good.

Originally Posted by Boho Patch

Have you done your HC1 form for things like glasses? it can take a few weeks to get assessed but if you are successful you may qualify for other benefits, such as dental, maybe?
If i may ask, why did they say you are not entitled to the hardship fund?

And keep receipts for the likes of dental costs, contact lenses etc as if you get the HC1 approved you will get anything in the last 6 months refunded.

[Hal Emmerich]

Locked and loaded sir, let's go!! still ain't my ******* loan yet!

[AbitBatty]

I don't see any complaint about her child. It was a complaint about the state of SFE if you read it correctly.

[Gemmiewren]

Originally Posted by Goliathmo

Or just a pragmatist.

or just incredibly sad

[Goliathmo]

Originally Posted by AbitBatty

I don't see any complaint about her child. It was a complaint about the state of SFE if you read it correctly.

I read everything correctly. If she has to rely on loans to look after a child, she is not financially secure enough to do so. This is my view, you are free to disagree.

[Goliathmo]

Originally Posted by Gemmiewren

or just incredibly sad

The ironic thing is, you're probably doing a degree in child care.

[Taiko]

Enough of this guys. Back on the original topic from now on please.

[Gemmiewren]

Originally Posted by Goliathmo

I read everything correctly. If she has to rely on loans to look after a child, she is not financially secure enough to do so. This is my view, you are free to disagree.

I do not have to rely on loans to look after my child. I have a partner of five years who is a primary teacher. The point is my student loan is essential. In essence it is my income. It would be the same if I was in full time employment and my employer failed to pay me. The fact I have a child doesn't change this it just makes it even more important that I recieve my loan. Your comments are ignorant and really immature.