Financial crisis in third-year, have SFE made a mistake? (please help me)

So I'm in such a huge panic now. I'm going into my third and final year of University this September, I'm a low income student as my mum's a single parent so I'm entitled to the maximum maintenance grant and loan which is what I've been given in my first couple of years. I also have to pay my rent for the term in advance rather than monthly because of my families financial situation which is a pain.

So I received an email saying there's been a change in my SFE application. I've been expecting my final year payments to be the exact same, apparently they're not as I've now found out final year students get less for reasons which are understandable. Here's what is frightening me, my second year payments were:

Maintenance Loan - £4,821.00
1st payment - £1590.93
2nd payment - £1590.93
3rd payment - £1639.14

Maintenance Grant - £3,387.00
1st payment - £1129.00
2nd payment - £1129.00
3rd payment - £1129.00

So for example in the first term I received £1590.93 + £1129 which is £2719. Subtract my rent I have to pay in advance, which was roughly £1500. I was left with £1219 to last the term, I managed decent.

Well now according to SFE, all I'll be receiving is a maintenance loan of
£1,172.49 for the first two terms, and £1, 208.02 in the last one.

This doesn't even cover my rent. I'm so stressed out because I'm supposed to be going back in 4 weeks, I've worked all summer, now my third-year might not even be possible, surely there must be a mistake? Surely they wouldn't just cut my finances like that, it's unfair and frankly not possible for me to get by on. At all. Please help me guys, what's going on?

You mentioned all you will be receiving now is a maintenance loan, so if you have not been given the grant again and the household income is roughly the same as last year, you possibly have not been income assessed.

Secondly - final year students DO receive less money as for your other years the payments you receive are to cover the summer months also, in your final year the money you receive doesn't cover the summer months (as obviously you are
expected to graduate and wouldn't be a student in the summer)

As myself and other members on this forum can not see your account or application status or see what the assesors have said on your account - it's impossible for me or others to give you definite correct advice, all we can do is give general information.*
*I would advise you give student finance England a call to discuss this and they will be able to fully check your application and check if you are income assessed and if you are not they can tell you what has happened.

Thank you so much, I think I've panicked for no reason. It appears I haven't been income assessed, I forgot It would need to be done again. I'm getting my mum to fill out her side of my application now, then I can expect another update to my application in a few days right?

If your mum is doing it online and submits that, the current timescale is around 12 working days to get that income assessed.

She she completes a pff2 paper form then the timescale at the moment is 4 working days for days entry to add it onto the system and then it takes some time to get approved

Now if you originally submitted your application as non income assessed you will need to complete a Nmt to Mt form and your mum would have to complete the pff2 and won't be able to do it online

I strongly advise phoning up so they can tell you what you need to do (because I can't see your account so I can't tell you if you would also need to complete a nmt to mt form)

The chances are you applied as non income assessed so the 2 paper forms will need sending in. I'm on my phone so can't provide the links - if you phone up though then they will give you all the info


Cheers - let me know if you need further help *

Again, thank you so much, I'll call tomorrow and also reply to you in this thread again and let you know what happens. I was so worried, I just want to go back to University lol I thought it couldn't make sense that SFE wouldn't allow that to be possible given the fact they've supported me in my first two years, nothing has changed so it wouldn't make sense. Thanks I'll message you with an update tomorrow!