WARNING Student finance payments April 2011

Surely they are responsible for any fees you incur?

I don't know if this is applicable to you, but I just wanted to post somethin on here incase I'm not the only one...

For months the scheduled payment date for my April finance has been the 2nd... I double checked because to me it seemed strange that it was scheduled for a Saturday. It was correct, it was indeed the 2nd...

I then of course arranged all of my payments and direct debits around this date because I knew I'd have the money.

This morning I logged in online to double check once again as I am due to go into hospital tomorrow and wanted to make sure everything will be sorted during my illness.

To my absolute HORROR they have changed my payment date to the 28th of April without any notification whatsoever, no email, no letter, no phonecall. I rung student finance to complain and they admitted my account shows a change of date from the 2nd to the 28th and they contacted head office, only to get back to me with '''there is nothing we can do, the payment date is handled by another department and student finance cannot change it''

This has left me in serious trouble because of course, 'knowing' that i was getting paid on the 2nd meant i organised my bills and such around this date.

I just want to URGE any student who was expecting to receive their payment early in April to check online or ring them to confirm, I'd hate to think that this is happening to other people and it could effect them paying rent etc.

The payment schedule dates are provisional and provided by the university, as they coincide with the beginning of term. Not SFE's problem.

Huh, I should probably have known that by now. Cheers.