[silver_spider]

I just spoke to student finance about the travel grant as the form is really vague and confusing. Apparently they can't tell me how much I'll be able to claim back after my year abroad as they means test it afterwards. This is really unhelpful as I fall into about the middle bracket, so have to idea how much I'll get back from the flights I'm about to buy.

Has anyone successfully claimed back for the travel grant and how much did they end up receiving?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

[TheLouisVuittonDon]

(Original post by silver_spider)
I just spoke to student finance about the travel grant as the form is really vague and confusing. Apparently they can't tell me how much I'll be able to claim back after my year abroad as they means test it afterwards. This is really unhelpful as I fall into about the middle bracket, so have to idea how much I'll get back from the flights I'm about to buy.

Has anyone successfully claimed back for the travel grant and how much did they end up receiving?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

I won't be any help but i'm in a similar situation as you. So do you think they will base it on how much our parents make this year? Also, where are you off to?

[GooseNation]

(Original post by silver_spider)
I just spoke to student finance about the travel grant as the form is really vague and confusing. Apparently they can't tell me how much I'll be able to claim back after my year abroad as they means test it afterwards. This is really unhelpful as I fall into about the middle bracket, so have to idea how much I'll get back from the flights I'm about to buy.

Has anyone successfully claimed back for the travel grant and how much did they end up receiving?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

I am in the top bracket so I had to ring them up and ask if I was still eligible for it. They looked at my account and said that I'd be eligible for the grant scheme. I think when they say means tested they mean if you CURRENTLY receive means-tested grants from SFE then you can't get the travel grant as well. So if you're in the middle bracket I'm guessing they'll let you have the travel grant in full also.

In terms of money being given back:
Bear in mind you'll have to pay first then claim back; the people at SF told me as soon as I've paid for any one thing I can claim it back straight away; so as far as I know, it's done on an ad-hoc basis.

On travel costs, I was told that we are reimbursed the cost minus £303; so in effect we pay £303 and they'll cover the rest.

On medical costs, you have to pay for nothing, as they reimburse you for it all.

I've not actually applied yet as I'm leaving next year, but this is all forming part of my research as I've learned very quickly that this whole Travel grant scheme is INCREDIBLY complex!

[silver_spider]

(Original post by TheLouisVuittonDon)
I won't be any help but i'm in a similar situation as you. So do you think they will base it on how much our parents make this year? Also, where are you off to?

I guess they base it off however much they were making when you submitted for student finance this year. It's really confusing :s I'm off to Spain in September then Chile in February, so I'm pretty keen to get some money back as the flights to Chile are going to be super expensive, and I thought I'd just get everything back minus £303! Where are you going?

(Original post by georgegabriel)
I am in the top bracket so I had to ring them up and ask if I was still eligible for it. They looked at my account and said that I'd be eligible for the grant scheme. I think when they say means tested they mean if you CURRENTLY receive means-tested grants from SFE then you can't get the travel grant as well. So if you're in the middle bracket I'm guessing they'll let you have the travel grant in full also.

In terms of money being given back:
Bear in mind you'll have to pay first then claim back; the people at SF told me as soon as I've paid for any one thing I can claim it back straight away; so as far as I know, it's done on an ad-hoc basis.

On travel costs, I was told that we are reimbursed the cost minus £303; so in effect we pay £303 and they'll cover the rest.

On medical costs, you have to pay for nothing, as they reimburse you for it all.

I've not actually applied yet as I'm leaving next year, but this is all forming part of my research as I've learned very quickly that this whole Travel grant scheme is INCREDIBLY complex!

Thanks for the reply! Yeah with the being able to claim it back straight away thing, the woman warned me that if you claim something back, the next time you do it they subtract that £303 again, so actually they act like you can get all your money straight back but it would be a big waste of money. If you want them to only deduct £303 once from everything you claim, you'll have to wait until the end of the year when you've bought everything you want to claim back on.

I think they don't even know themselves what they do, because when I called the woman said straight away yes you're elegible for the grant etc, but then when I said will I get everything back as it says it's means tested she had to go and ask someone and when she came back she was really vague.

SO confusing! Thanks for your help guys!

[oxymoronic]

Speak to your LEA - I found mine more helpful than student finance, as in most places it depends on where you live and the travel allowance funding in that LEA. Where I live, not many people go on years abroad and I was eligible to have my return flights paid for up to 3 times during the year, plus I received other extra funding, whereas friends who lived in the neighbouring county (I live right on the border) were not eligible for anything as their LEA didn't offer the same funding even though we were from a similar income family.

This was for the 08-09 academic year, so LEAs might have got tighter with their funding now, but certainly speak to them.

[GooseNation]

(Original post by oxymoronic)
Speak to your LEA - I found mine more helpful than student finance, as in most places it depends on where you live and the travel allowance funding in that LEA. Where I live, not many people go on years abroad and I was eligible to have my return flights paid for up to 3 times during the year, plus I received other extra funding, whereas friends who lived in the neighbouring county (I live right on the border) were not eligible for anything as their LEA didn't offer the same funding even though we were from a similar income family.

This was for the 08-09 academic year, so LEAs might have got tighter with their funding now, but certainly speak to them.

Thanks for this. I certainly need to speak to my LEA. Though as far as I understand, the LEA now have very little power and apparently it's all done through student finance. Guess it's worth a try though.

[jadee28]

How did you get on in getting this student finance travel grant?
I've recently sent my receipts off for flights and visa. I get a maintenance loan based on my parents income so I think I should qualify for something, but it would be really helpful to know if we're talking an £800 grant or a 50p grant!

[GooseNation]

(Original post by jadee28)
How did you get on in getting this student finance travel grant?
I've recently sent my receipts off for flights and visa. I get a maintenance loan based on my parents income so I think I should qualify for something, but it would be really helpful to know if we're talking an £800 grant or a 50p grant!

Nightmare for me, having told me I was eligible they then turned round and said I'd be getting nothing back for my first claim. I need to ring them and have a moan down the phone for sure.