Distance Learning due to disability

Hi, I am currently applying for student finance for a part-time distance-learning degree course. I have provided a letter of diagnosis and full report and these have been accepted as proof of compelling personal reasons and as evidence for DSA. I made attempts to study face-to-face previously but due to the profound affects of ASD was unable to manage and had to withdraw. I need to apply for a maintenance loan for distance learning and hope you can help by letting me know precisely what evidence I should submit that SFE will accept. As previously stated I have already submitted the letter of diagnosis from Dr (Child and Adult Psychiatrist) along with the full report as evidence of compelling reasons and to support my DSA application and these have been accepted. Do you have a link that you can post to SFE's guidance on what should constitute acceptable evidence for distance learning due to disability?
Many thanks!

Original post by Carabid18

Hi, I am currently applying for student finance for a part-time distance-learning degree course. I have provided a letter of diagnosis and full report and these have been accepted as proof of compelling personal reasons and as evidence for DSA. I made attempts to study face-to-face previously but due to the profound affects of ASD was unable to manage and had to withdraw. I need to apply for a maintenance loan for distance learning and hope you can help by letting me know precisely what evidence I should submit that SFE will accept. As previously stated I have already submitted the letter of diagnosis from Dr (Child and Adult Psychiatrist) along with the full report as evidence of compelling reasons and to support my DSA application and these have been accepted. Do you have a link that you can post to SFE's guidance on what should constitute acceptable evidence for distance learning due to disability?
Many thanks!

Hi there,

We now have a form that you and your your GP can complete to apply for the Maintenance Loan.The form can be found on the GOv.UK website. This can then be uploaded from your online account and once received it is taking approximately 23 working days to process.

Thanks, Drew

Reply 2

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

We now have a form that you and your your GP can complete to apply for the Maintenance Loan.The form can be found on the GOv.UK website. This can then be uploaded from your online account and once received it is taking approximately 23 working days to process.

Thanks, Drew

Hi Drew,
I assume a letter from the Child and Adult Psychiatrist who diagnosed me with ASD and provided a full report of that diagnosis would also be acceptable. Like many ASD people I have very little to do with my GP/GP practice, in fact I don't even know who my named GP is - so I don't think they would be able to comment on my disability. I was diagnosed last year aged 53 and have not seen or spoken to the surgery for several years.
Can you confirm that a letter from the Dr who diagnosed me, explicitly stating that distance-learning is my only option for successful completion of a degree course would be acceptable to SFE/SLC - and would you be able to provide a link to SFE's own guidance on what evidence is considered acceptable in terms of providing this proof of eligibility?
I am keen not to get stuck in a loop of submitting evidence and then being told that evidence is not acceptable.
Many thanks for your help with this!

Hi there,

The new process for us to award the Maintenance Loan for a distance learning course we would need you and a qualified medical professional to complete the Medical Declaration form.

SFE DLML_Medical_Declaration_form_o 4.pdf

Thanks, Drew

Reply 4

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

The new process for us to award the Maintenance Loan for a distance learning course we would need you and a qualified medical professional to complete the Medical Declaration form.

SFE DLML_Medical_Declaration_form_o 4.pdf

Thanks, Drew

Dear Drew,

I have already submitted a letter from the qualified medical professional (Child and Adult Psychiatrist) who diagnosed me, it explicitly states that distance-learning is my only option. I did this after speaking to an SFE advisor in December who stated that this is the evidence SFE required of me. Was that advice correct?
Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it :smile:

)

Original post by Carabid18

Dear Drew,

I have already submitted a letter from the qualified medical professional (Child and Adult Psychiatrist) who diagnosed me, it explicitly states that distance-learning is my only option. I did this after speaking to an SFE advisor in December who stated that this is the evidence SFE required of me. Was that advice correct?
Many thanks for your help, I really appreciate it :smile:

)

Hi there,

Yes if the evidence is on your GPs headed paper, it confirms that distance learning is your only option and it is signed & dated then it should be acceptable evidence. It is taking approximately 22 working days to process the evidence.

Thanks, Drew

Reply 6

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

The new process for us to award the Maintenance Loan for a distance learning course we would need you and a qualified medical professional to complete the Medical Declaration form.

SFE DLML_Medical_Declaration_form_o 4.pdf

Thanks, Drew

Hi Drew,
Apologies if this is a duplicate, I think my last post disappeared.
I submitted a letter from the qualified medical professional (Child and Adult Psychiatrist) who diagnosed me, explicitly stating that distance learning is my only option for successful completion of a degree course. This followed a telephone conversation with an SFE advisor in early December who stated that this was the acceptable evidence. Was this advice correct?
My course starts on 22nd January and I really need to get my maintenance loan sorted, I applied for student finance in October, so this process has been very long and protracted already. Each time there is a new suggestion to submit different evidence I am subject to a new long wait for that evidence to be considered..

Reply 7

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

Yes if the evidence is on your GPs headed paper, it confirms that distance learning is your only option and it is signed & dated then it should be acceptable evidence. It is taking approximately 22 working days to process the evidence.

Thanks, Drew

Hi Drew,
Many thanks for your swift response.
As stated it is not from my GP but from the Child and Adult Psychiatrist that diagnosed me. It is on headed paper and is signed and dated :smile:

) So hopefully that should be acceptable? I was told it would take approximately 8 days to process so do you think I should hear sometime next week?
Again, thanks for providing advice and reassurance, it's good to get confirmation :smile:

)

Original post by Carabid18

Hi Drew,
Many thanks for your swift response.
As stated it is not from my GP but from the Child and Adult Psychiatrist that diagnosed me. It is on headed paper and is signed and dated :smile:

) So hopefully that should be acceptable? I was told it would take approximately 8 days to process so do you think I should hear sometime next week?
Again, thanks for providing advice and reassurance, it's good to get confirmation :smile:

)

Hi there,

Do you know exactly what day in December that you uploaded the evidence to us so I can see if I can get a clearer timescale of when you should get an update on your online account?

Thanks, Drew

Reply 9

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

Do you know exactly what day in December that you uploaded the evidence to us so I can see if I can get a clearer timescale of when you should get an update on your online account?

Thanks, Drew

Hi Drew,

Just checked my records - after speaking to an advisor on the 11th December, I requested a new letter from the Child and Adult Psychiatrist and uploaded that letter on the 19th of December. As I had not received confirmation of the evidence having been received, I contacted SFE again on the 28th of December, at which time an advisor told me that they would re-scan the evidence and send to distance-learning. I received an email on the 5th of January that stated 'We've recently received evidence to support your application for student finance and will process this as soon as possible.'
On the 10th of December I consulted an advisor via online chat who stated that they would refer to senior assessment team to review. On Friday the 12th of December I telephoned SFE and waited on hold for 35 mins to speak to an advisor because I wanted to check that my evidence letter had now been received by the correct team. I was stunned when the advisor stated that SFE were arbitrarily refusing to accept the letter on headed note paper/signed/dated etc as evidence for distance-learning - despite accepting the separate letter of diagnosis and detailed report from the same fully qualified Child and Adult psychiatrist as evidence for compelling personal reasons and DSA.
It is important to state that all the SFE advisors I spoke to were lovely and as helpful as they could be in the circumstances :smile:

)
I discussed this discrepancy with the advisor on Friday and was told write and upload a signed letter stating this and asking for the assessor to review my evidence and reconsider the decision which seems arbitrary as the other evidence has already been accepted. I uploaded my own letter straight after the call and was told to expect a timescale of 8 days.
In summary, I have provided the evidence that was requested of me by the SFE advisor I spoke to and uploaded it in good faith on the 19th December, so now I'm awaiting an assessor to look my own handwritten letter that I uploaded on Friday 12th at 13.12 pm. I am hoping I might hear something by the 18th or 19th of January, and that it will be a positive outcome for me 😊

Hi there,

If we received your evidence on the 19th of December it is taking approximately 22 working days to process. You are due to get an update on your online account on the 24th of January.

Thanks, Drew

Reply 11

Carabid18

OP

2

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi there,

If we received your evidence on the 19th of December it is taking approximately 22 working days to process. You are due to get an update on your online account on the 24th of January.

Thanks, Drew

Hi Drew, Thank you so much for all your help (and patience) today - I really appreciate the service you provide here and thanks too, to all the other lovely SFE advisors for their unwavering kindness and professionalism in responding to worried and sometimes despairing students - your help makes such a difference!!

Original post by Carabid18

Hi Drew, Thank you so much for all your help (and patience) today - I really appreciate the service you provide here and thanks too, to all the other lovely SFE advisors for their unwavering kindness and professionalism in responding to worried and sometimes despairing students - your help makes such a difference!!

You're welcome! Have a nice day!
Thanks,
Claire

Distance Learning due to disability

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