Student Loan Delays 'May Reoccur' - Your Thoughts?

I sent off the student finance stuff a few weeks back and they have told me that it is all sorted, which is good. How bad was the delay in recieving the finance last year was it a few days or weeks ? and was there a delay in them sending the uni the money for your course ?

Really sorry to hear that. I do hope this year's application is a lot easier for you to get processed.

If my loan status is "Approved" do I have to worry?

Thanks I'm not holding my breath, everyone I knew had at least one problem with them and they have even more applicants this year =/

I'd still be a bit worried. Mine was approved by mid october, but I didn't recieve the payment scheduled for October until december and they've now changed my mind and cut my funding, having already paid out one of the three instalments. They won't tell me why.

England's student loans and grants system is at "substantial" risk of being hit by delays again this year, a government watchdog has warned.
The National Audit Office said the Student Loans Company (SLC) provided an "unacceptable" service last year.
It questioned whether the firm would cope with a doubling of the number of student finance applications this year.
The SLC says it is sorry and has vowed to deliver.

Speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio Four, its chief executive Ralph Seymour-Jackson said: "I am really sorry for the problems and delays and difficulty people had in getting through to us last summer.
"We didn't give them the service they have every right to expect. Lessons have been learned. We've put right the problems of the past and we will make sure they get the right service this summer."
And he made this pledge: "I can say if the student gets me their application with all the evidence by the key deadline of the end of June, I will make sure they have their money by the start of term when they register at university."


The above is a snippet of an article available today on the BBC News website (see the source below for the full thing).
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and discussion on the matter. Do you feel that your applications are running smoothly? Have you prepared and sent your application off already to be sure that it's finalised in time, and if it's not, do you have a back-up plan?

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8575051.stm

That is because you had applied post-deadline, so your payment cannot be guaranteed to be on time, even if it is approved. My friend went through a similar situation. They key is to apply by the dates provided according to wether or not you are means-tested or not.

I applied about a week after applications opened. They took forever, kept claiming they'd never recieved stuff we'd sent by recorded delivery, finally admitted they'd lost it.... then the whole "you didn't send it" "yes I did" "oh we've lost it" again. Then the nice lady on the phone outright told me I was lying to them and that I wasn't a student and therefore not receiving funding.

Like I said, they've not cut my funding and I was told today they have no record of me, despite the fact I can still log into my student finance and check everything from there. I've been outright lied to by them repeatedly.

This is really worrying me =/
Applying for the first time, sent half my evidence off already about 3 weeks ago and haven't received an acknowledgement yet! I'm applying for means tested, so some of the evidence I need hasn't come through yet, so will they acknowledge when they receive all the evidence or is it worth giving them a ring?

Well, in that case, I can only sympathise with the situation you are in with student finance. Why not take this case further? You can contact your local MP, citizens advice bureau and many other agencies to receive legal help to resolve the situation you are in.

My local MP was how we got it sorted the first time around. I've contacted him again now they're claiming they've never heard of me and pulled the plug on my loan. Hopefully it'll get sorted fast as he's standing down at the next election, but given past experiences I've not got much hope of getting any more funding this year. Thank the Lord for bursaries, I'd already be under if not for them. I'm supposed to be getting the full loan because my parents earn basically nothing, so they can't afford to help me out much when the SLC mess up.

I've applied online and had my parents send evidences about their income and things but I haven't heard back yet. Anyone know roughly how long the whole palaver takes if I'm applying for means tested support?

ME TOO.
I sent the originals as well, about 2 weeks ago..and havent heard anything...i'm beginning to worry.

Doesn't it say you can't get them back? P60s and things?

ME TOO.
I sent the originals as well, about 2 weeks ago..and havent heard anything...i'm beginning to worry.

Doesn't it say you can't get them back? P60s and things?