Student finance cancelled... Three weeks to go

I apologise for the poor structure in advance, I'm in a bit of a panic...

So I contacted this afternoon to ask what was going on with my DSA application and I got told that it was not working because I was being considered a returning student to my new university though I was a first year student. I had previously had attended another university for two years but had failed due to illness during the exam period. I asked if I could change to do the computer science course but the university I was at said I would have to start at first year... to which I said nah, I'll go apply for another university.

Now it's been a year and I've applied for my new university and I just wanted to make sure everything was ready to go. Then I get told my details are wrong and I'm not going to be paid for the first year. Obviously this is news to me, and I've searched it up and it seems to be a thing.... I called someone in student finance and they said that my finance is all good to go. But now I just checked 3 minutes ago and it's been cancelled. So what do I do? I'm in such a panic, I don't have any money to pay for the first year... or any year! Someone have any advise?

Reply 1

SassyDancer

Omg thats awful!! Ring them up again and find out what's going on .. Can they jus cancel your application without even letting you know ?!?! Don gemme started on Student Finance %^&88# :angry:

Reply 2

volume3

I guess in a sense the first lady from student finance did say that they were going to cancel my claim because my student finance details weren't correct and then if I was to reapply I would not be given the loan for the first year...

Reply 3

Jenx301

Has your online account just not been updated to reflect what you were told on the phone? You would probably be classed as a returning student because you are not a new student to SFE (I am guessing).

From what I can see..... you have been told you won't get student finance because your details are wrong but actually if you already completed two years of a three year course then no you won't be funded for first year because you get funding for the length of your course +1 gift year. This is usually 4 years and since you already had 2 years funding you would usually only get 2 more, which means you'd have to fund your first year yourself.

Sorry if I have misunderstood but your post is not very clear

Reply 4

volume3

No you understand what has happened. Do you know if there's anything I could do like, mention that I was ill? I'm just surprised because I have been keeping in contact with them for months and I literally just got told about this... I know it's partially my fault for not realising it, but surely they would have told me sooner so I could find a way to fund myself?

Reply 5

Klix88

After two years at uni, you only have two remaining years of Student Finance entitlement. That will be given in the second and third years of your new degree. You will have to fund the first year yourself apart from a minimum Maintenance Loan.

You could try to claim back the entitlement to your first year of funding through the SF's Compelling Personal Reasons process. This will require you to show that you were unable to continue with your first degree due to your illness. Having said that, it would depend on how your first uni handled your exam failure. Did they offer you any options like resits or retaking modules? From what you've told us, you chose to leave on the grounds that you wanted to do a different course and that's what you told your first uni.

(edited 7 years ago)

Yes my first uni was very courteous and offered me a resit the next year as an external candidate. Though this meant that I only had access to online resources and some lecturers didn't even reply when I asked questions... In the end, I was not able to pass the core subject but passed everything else, which resulted in being offered to continue the programme with just a pass or fail mark. So in a sense, yes, my illness indirectly wound me down this path.

EDIT: I had wanted to swap onto computer science before all this madness...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

Klix88

Original post by volume3

It doesn't sound like grounds for claiming Compelling Personal Reasons. You would need a letter from your GP/consultant etc, describing your symptoms and explaining why they meant you couldn't continue on your first degree. I don't think they could do that. Your first uni accommodated you as far as possible and offered you a way forward, but you voluntarily chose not to accept it.

EDIT: The fact that you wanted to change courses before all of this happened, weakens your case for CPR. That makes it sound like you were looking for a reason to leave your course even before you got ill. I wouldn't mention it to SF at any point.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

Jenx301

The only way to get your new course fully funded is to get SFE to disregard your WHOLE YEAR of funding which sounds doubtful. What kind of illness, if you don't mind me asking? You would need some sort of evidence and probably would need your uni to back you up on this though

I don't know if this would help but this is taken from *my* universities website
"How will repeating affect your Student Finance Entitlement?
Eligibility for student finance in a repeat year of study will depend on your previous study history. The government provides funding for the duration of a course of study plus one additional year if needed. Therefore, if a course has a duration of 3 years, you would be entitled to 4 years of funding in total (3 + 1 = 4). So if you need to repeat one year of your course and you haven't previously repeated a year or studied on a HE course prior to this one, you will be entitled to the full student finance package for the repeat year.

However, if you have undertaken a previous course at HE level, your entitlement to funding will be reduced to reflect this previous study and although you may not be entitled to the Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Grant or NTU bursary during your repeat year, you would still be entitled to receive the Maintenance Loan (plus the Childcare Grant, Adult Dependants Grant and the Parent's Learning Allowance if applicable).

Compelling personal reasons
If you were unable to progress with your course of study due to compelling personal reasons (CPR), Student Finance England has the discretion to disregard the affected year / s of study and continue to provide full support for the duration of the course. Although the affected year / s of study would be disregarded, you would still be liable to repay any loans taken out.
Compelling personal reasons could include mental / physical illness, bereavement etc.

If you had compelling personal reasons which prevented you from progressing with your course we would suggest that you contact Student Finance England to advise them of your circumstances. They would require documentary evidence to substantiate your claim."

Reply 10

volume3

Good.. I need to go see the doctor about these chest pains anyways... They haven't gone away since last year.
At the moment, unfortunately I am not in the best financial situation to do it. Neither is anyone in my family for that matter. Any advise on what my next step should be then?

Reply 11

volume3

I had some weird fever that had rendered me bedridden. It was not the first time it had happened to me that year, thus seemed to be a reoccuring. I had continuously been ill throughout my two years and I did myself in during the second year by refusing to go to the doctor :/.

Symptoms of the fever flu:
Vomitting
Dizziness, thus inability to travel
High temperature and chills
Shortness of breath.

Reply 12

Jenx301

To be honest I am not convinced SFE will disregard a year of funding from what you have said, but if you want to try then I guess you should ring student finance and ask them if they will accept this and then if they say yes they will tell you what evidence they require.

Reply 13

volume3

By the way, I just want to thank you all for your time to give me constructive replies.

Reply 14

Klix88

Original post by volume3

Well there are no other reputable sources of finance for undergrad study. In your shoes, I'd ask your new uni if you can defer for a year. Then you would have time to at least try to get CPR to regain full SF funding, if you want to try that route. Although as I said above, your case is shaky at best. You could find yourself in the same situation this time next year. I don't see the alternative though.

Sorry, but it seems that you weren't well advised when you were deciding to leave your first uni.