Rejected from student finance

I used to be the child of an EEA national back when I first applied for student finance in 2011 and I put in my original application that I do not have settled status.

Student finance, at the time, were asking evidence of the EEA national's P60, employment contract, marriage certificate...etc. Unfortunately, due to some personal family problems, my mother divorced with the EEA national and applied to Home Office for indefinite leave. We notified Student finance about this sudden change in circumstances and they said that they would keep my application in the system and that it would take maximum two weeks for them to consider the application once they get the newly specified evidence - the British passports for my mother and me, the copy of the divorce certificate and the copy of my birth certificate.

Once we had received the indefinite leave in November-December 2012, we immediately sent the evidence to student finance via recorded delivery. They sent us a confirmation letter that they received the necessary evidence and that they would consider the application in the next 15 days.

Today I called to student finance as it has been two months and no answer, I was told that I was rejected for the tuition fee loan as I put on my application that I do not have "settled status" and that the team therefore did not even consider the evidence that we sent them. Also, I was told that I was not eligible because I received indefinite leave after the uni semester began (though I see no sign of this criteria anywhere on their website, which is bewildering).

My mother struggled to find some money to fund my uni degree but since my next semester starts on the 7th January 2013, I will have severe problems.

Is there any way to appeal this rejection? I have been an "ordinary resident" in the UK for more than three years and my mother came to the UK originally for employment reasons and according to their personal eligibility document on their website, I am eligible. Also, who shall I contact? My LEA? My MP?

Reply 1

SuperCat007

Keep asking to talk to managers etc. I had horrible problems with SFE whenever I called to ask about my issue I ALWAYS got told something different, sadly I had to be quite rude to a couple of them before they'd let me talk to anybody else. I'm not saying being rude is the answer, but don't give up make sure you fine out who you need to talk to and don't give up until you talk to them. We ended up contacting our local MP who managed to pull some strings so that could be another option.

Reply 2

SecretDuck

Original post by SuperCat007

Thanks for replying. :biggrin:

I did call SFE a second time and talked to someone different, but they both said exactly the same thing.

Reply 3

SuperCat007

From what you have typed SFE have given you two different stories. I'd keep following it up, surely they have records of you notifying them of your change in circumstances. I had a vaguely similar thing with the OU too, I really feel for you. You just cannot get to the people who could actually understand or help, I'd keep pushing it and find out why you were told two different things. If they were going to reject you anyway why did you waste your money sending that info recorded delivery??

Reply 4

SecretDuck

Original post by SuperCat007

Everyone who I talked to, including my teachers and family friends, said that I am eligible.

Nowhere does it say at all about the indefinite leave rule and for that, they simply said that they cannot put the full criteria for every situation.
Their eligibility document and what they said to me were both completely different.

Reply 5

SuperCat007

Exactly so keep pushing and find out if a finance officer at your uni, or the CAB, or your MP if you're lucky could help your case. There are special numbers they can call, but we aren't allowed to call so they can often talk to people a little higher up the chain. Best of luck.

Reply 6

tamimi

Basic fact: The first line of advisers will not be able to give you a different answer purely because of protocol. You must speak to a superior person, a manager or someone of that rank. Even go down to their office if you must. Request an appeal.

If things go really badly, you can seek legal help. If you can't afford it, speak to your student union, they should be able to help out with legal representation or at the very least point you in the direction of someone who can.

Lastly, if all else fails, speak to the Home Office. I really don't know how they might be of assistance but it's worth a shot since this is all a matter of nationality.

All the best and good luck for next semester.

Reply 7

SecretDuck

Original post by SuperCat007

Original post by tamimi

Thank you for the advice. :smile:

I now have help from my welfare officer and my local MP has said that she will write to the head of SFE so that my application could be properly looked at and assessed.

Unfortunately, my uni requires 75% of the £9,000 to be paid by the 31st January 2013 otherwise I risk expulsion from my uni. Is there any way to postpone that deadline?

Reply 8

tamimi

Original post by SecretDuck

Thank you for the advice. :smile:

Entirely down to the university to decide. You should speak to the student union, they should be able to liaise with the uni.

You can also ask your MP office to call the university to postpone the deadline as they're dealing with your case and can 'guarantee' that you're working on it. :smile:

Reply 9

SecretDuck

Original post by tamimi

Thank you very much :smile:

I'll let you know how it goes.

Reply 10

balotelli12

Are you at university now?
I thought once you stat you cannot change your status.

Reply 11

DuncanMono

I've had changes or circumstances during the year and changed from non-means assessed to means assessed during the same year. Essentially SFE have to tick a box or select a different option on their system. With you university fees, I would ask your student union to talk to the University and if necessary ask your MP to write a letter, and hopefully this situation works itself out. But try and record as much as possible from phone calls - name of caller, date and time.

Reply 12

balotelli12

Original post by DuncanMono

But you cannot change status, ie EU to home, once you've started.

Reply 13

SecretDuck

Original post by balotelli12

But you cannot change status, ie EU to home, once you've started.

I've been assessed as a home student by all five of my uni choices when I applied. It was just that when SFE asked for our passports as evidence, my mother was going through a divorce with my stepfather.

Then we had to apply for indefinite leave and only got it after the uni term started. But I am an ordinary resident for several years now and my mother's main reason of coming to the UK was for employment reasons, not education.

And yes, I'm at university now.