Student Finance Overpayment?

I withdrew from my postgraduate course in early August this year. I was very aware that withdrawing from my course could result in an overpayment so I asked around and was told that as I was leaving so late in the year this would not result in an overpayment. On the withdrawal form I made a mistake. It asked the last date of attendance. This was rather confusing to me as I was unsure whether it meant last class attended, last piece of submitted work, last substantial interaction with tutors. Third term for postgraduate students is dedicated towards dissertation. I had no classes to attend, all my deadlines had been completed in the prior term. I subsequently stated that my last date of attendance was May 20th as that was the last piece of substantial work I submitted. By stating May 20th as my last date of attendance this led student finance to believe that I had stopped attending in the 2nd term. As such they believe that I was no longer a student and I would have to repay back the entirety of my third loan. This couldn't be further from the truth. I was still a full time student. I was focusing entirely on my dissertation. I had meetings with my tutor throughout the third term up until as late as the end of July.

I called Student Finance in the September explaining the situation and I was told that the University would have to change the withdrawal date so that the sum could be recalculated. They put my account on hold so that the changes could be made. I instantly got in touch with the University and on September 3rd they contacted student finance stating that my withdrawal date was instead July 31st as that was the last date I had substantial interaction with my tutor.

I then received a letter from Student Letter around a month later which made absolutely no reference to an overpayment and so I naturally assumed that the Universities intervention had worked and that the overpayment no longer existed. Then in early November I received a call from student finance stating that I have an overpayment of £3815. I was shocked and explained the entire situation all over again in which they said contact your university and get them to change the date. I contacted the University once again and they assured me with a screenshot that they had sent a change of circumstances form and changed the date and said that maybe the reassessment is just taking a little longer but it had been 2 months at this point. He once again put my student finance account on hold so that the problem could be corrected but I am worried that once again nothing will change.

The only way Student Finance functions is through phone calls to the agents and their seems to be no other advice other than reiterating the point that the overpayment is based on when you leave and contact your university to change the date. I explain the situation and am just continuously transferred There is no middle ground or anyone who seems willing to help me no matter who I call. I have a potential £3815 charge dangling over my head and I have no idea what to do. I log in to my student finance repayment account and there is no mention of the overpayment and it just feels like a waiting game to find out whether it has been changed or not.

Reply 1

Uni_jill

Hiya
Did you manage to get this sorted?
I stumbled upon this post as I'm in similar circumstances only mine is double the amount and it's really stressful.
I was just wondering what happened and whether you managed to get it sorted in the end and which way you went about it?

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