Would I get into trouble

I live in Scotland and there are various universities that I am interested in applying to. My mother, I just found out lives in quite a poor area where universities consider to be a ‘widening access’ area and would give people who live there lower conditions in their offers.

My parents are divorced and I live with my dad, where we live completely on benefits (less than 20k) but the area is considered to be quite good and therefore not eligible for widening access. I told my mother this and she thinks that since she is my mum, me saying that I live with her (when I don’t) to get a better offer from a university isn’t a bad thing, and that I should take advantage of the fact that my parents are divorced. And that even though my bank and other things (national insurance) have my dads address on them it would still be fine, and that nobody would be able to prove that I would be lying.

I have been I contact with UCAS staff twice (on the phone and on Facebook )who both say that it would be fine if I did that and not illegal as fraud or anything but I’m still not sure about that part. They said that even though my bank or other documents don’t say I live with my mum that it would still be fine. As long as my students loans matched it would be fine.

Anyway, to be completely honest, the idea doig that sounds rewarding as I can get into better universities, but I cannot help but think that I would be a cheater to use my mother’s postcode on application, and I am worried that if I was found out I would be kicked out of uni and my life would be permanently damaged. That is if they have a way to prove that I do t live with my mum. I’ve even thought about if I got jail time.

Please advise student roomers

The consequences of being found out aren't as severe as you are imagining. It's more likely you'd have uni offers withdrawn or you'd lose the widening access offer.

Do bear in mind that widening access doesn't guarantee an offer, as well.

It sounds like you are the sort of person these schemes are meant to benefit, so personally I don't think you'd be wrong to put down your mum's address morally. Would it inconvenience you if all uni related paperwork went to your mum's?

No it wouldn’t at all, the main thing that worries me is if there is a way for universities to check if I actually stay with her. The ucas people that I spoke to (who I made aware of the fact I don’t presently stay with my mum) even said it would be fine. That’s what has me confused.

Before giving you the wider access offer, the universities may ask for proof of address. At worse, you don't have proof, you just get a standard offer. At best, something with your mum's name on is sufficient, you get the wider access offer.
I used a similar scheme to get into university (not in Scotland though) and they said to provide evidence. I handed my forms in person since the university was near to my college and they just gave me all the evidence back and didn't look at it. I suspect most universities do the same and you'll be fine.
It sounds like, despite not living in the right postcode, you are someone the scheme is designed to help. I really can't see any university giving any severe punishment for you applying under your mum's address.

Thanks, what type of evidence did you give? For me should I just give them a letter or bank statement that my mum received?

Are you applying through your school? Surely they won't allow a wrong address on the application?

No I’m at college right now, they’re having us apply independently on UCAS. The way it’s done, the staff don’t have much interaction regarding our application except for references.

If they are providing a reference then that implies they need to check the application and submit it ... I wouldn't risk putting the wrong address.

I didn’t know they did that. Thanks for the point, I would rather not risk that either. But what if I were to say that my mums address is the place that I will be staying at during university holidays? Would that not matter?

You should use the address you are living at - who claims child benefit for you?

I’m 19 and so I don’t have child benefit in my household, as I said earlier my national insurance is in my dads address so I have nothing that can prove I lived with my mum. Unless I change my bank address? I will be honest here, like the previous reply to this thread, I do feel as though this sort of scheme is for people like me, but I guess I just don’t tick enough boxes.

Who did claim it?

You will tick other boxes - low income etc.

This just shows how ineffective these broad brush schemes are

My mum claimed it when I wasn’t living with her