Funding not approved through an error

Wanderlust1991

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone has experience what has happened to me below.

I went to a further Education College this year in the republic of Ireland and completed my course. The university course I want to do is in the UK, I flew over for the assessments and interviews and got a place. I applied for the Student Loan in April when the application opened. Everything went well, I was out of the country in Australia on a temporary basis a few years ago, I didn't lie on my application and put down the dates I was out of Ireland. The Student Loans European team said once I got confirmation from the Australian government stating I was out of Europe and Ireland on temporary visa and not a residential one, I would get the funding. I got this information for them and they accepted it. I rang the student loan company about two weeks and was told I would get an acceptance last Tuesday following the asser accepting all my documents from being out of the country. I had not received anything in the post this week regarding my loan so I rang the Student Loans company

I rang up student finance England's European team. I was told because I had stated I studied a level 5 course this year, I was deemed ineligible to receive the student loan as I had done a level 5 course this year. Basically, I had selected “yes” too, “have you studied a level 5 course or are you are you at present” question on my application. I explained it was only a Fetac/QQI course here in Ireland and I had covered the fees, there were about 1100 euro I think. This baffled me as I know a lot of nursing students alongside other students do a Fetac/QQI course here in Ireland to gain access into courses within the UK. What really baffled me was I know quite alot of Irish students heading over doing the same course as me within the University who had their loans accepted and who done a similar level 5 Fetac/QQI course too me to gain into the University course. They all stated they had done a level 5 course this year on their application too.

With a bit of research, I rang up student finance again, from what I gather, the person who assessed my application has transferred my QQI(fetac) level 5 award to the UK level 5 which is different to here. From the national frameworks award I can see my level 5 only transfers over to at highest, A levels in the UK. So basically, the asser of my application has thought I got a UK level 5 which would make me exempt from a student loan. In part, it was my fault for selecting I had or was doing a level 5 course at present on my application, I was not to know it meant a UK level 5 course do.
They've told me to appeal it and I have express posted a letter explaining alongside a copy of the national framework qualifications which show my Level 5 course this year translate to A levels at most within England.
Below is the link which shows the conversion of my course.
https://qhelp.qqi.ie/learners/qualifications-recognition-advice/comparing-qualifications-in-the-uk-and-ireland/Qualifications_Can_Cross_Boundaries.pdf

Anyhow, wondering if anyone has experienced this, all a bit of a mess.
Cheers

(edited 6 years ago)

Hi Wanderlust1991,

We would usually ask you to send in a letter to confirm the error and send a copy of your qualification certificate along with this.

Sometimes we direct you to an organisation called NARIC to get evidence of the level of your qualification in relation to the UK equivalent. There is a cost involved for getting this evidence from them so it would be best for you to call us so we can access your account to see if the assessor needs this.

Call us on 0141 243 3570 and we will be happy to check for you.

Thanks

Reply 2

Wanderlust1991

OP

Original post by Laura S SFE

Hi Wanderlust1991,

We would usually ask you to send in a letter to confirm the error and send a copy of your qualification certificate along with this.

Sometimes we direct you to an organisation called NARIC to get evidence of the level of your qualification in relation to the UK equivalent. There is a cost involved for getting this evidence from them so it would be best for you to call us so we can access your account to see if the assessor needs this.

Call us on 0141 243 3570 and we will be happy to check for you.

Thanks

Hey Laura, I sent an email to the appeals team explaining everything. I also sent a copy of the national frameworks qualification conversion alongside a letter on Friday via express post to the courier address in Durham. I included a reference letter from my course coordinator in relation to showing I was a student at the college last year. Would this suffice.

Thanks

(edited 6 years ago)

Hi Wanderlust1991,

It's down to the assessor what they are willing to accept for this so you would just need to allow them time to process what has been sent. If they need anything further from you they will contact you and let you know what is required.

Thanks

Reply 4

Wanderlust1991

OP

Original post by Laura S SFE

Hi Wanderlust1991,

It's down to the assessor what they are willing to accept for this so you would just need to allow them time to process what has been sent. If they need anything further from you they will contact you and let you know what is required.

Thanks

Hi laura, I received a letter today stating I wouldn't get funding, it seems like the last letter I got. I called Student Finance last week and they said it would be the 7th of August when a decision on my application was made. I was wondering if this was an old letter I had received. Would it be possible to pm you my customer reference number as it is costing quite alot of money to ring the European team alot

Original post by Wanderlust1991

Hi laura, I received a letter today stating I wouldn't get funding, it seems like the last letter I got. I called Student Finance last week and they said it would be the 7th of August when a decision on my application was made. I was wondering if this was an old letter I had received. Would it be possible to pm you my customer reference number as it is costing quite alot of money to ring the European team alot