Underpayment?

Originally I calculated that I should receive a grant of around £450 and this makes me eligible for a bursary from the uni I'm (hopefully) going to. However, I have just received a letter confirming the application has been approved with my grant no longer being there and the loan I'm going to receive now being £700 less than previously stated. This then makes me ineligible for the bursary from said uni and will mean I cannot afford to go. I've phoned up student finance and they've received payment information from my stepdad (highest earner) and have subsequently 'guessed' the earnings of my mum which must be grotesquely wrong. They've also stated they've sent another letter out on the 28th asking for further information but it has not arrived, despite the letter I received today being addressed for the 29th. Any idea what I should do now? this is the last thing I needed before results day and I'm so stressed. I'm thinking that I should wait for the post to be delivered tomorrow and if no such letter arrives phone them again and get quite annoyed? idk. Help

SFE don't 'guess' anything. If your mum hasn't provided her financial details to SFE, then you will receive a non means tested award. Did your mum actually supply her details online, or on a PFF2 form?

If you go onto your online account you should be able to see a copy of the letter they sent on the 28th. What is the exact wording of the letter on there?

Also, still sign and send back the declaration with the letter you received even though you will be looking to be reassessed.

Rather they have taken issue with my step dad's application. Apparently they require more information other than his P60??

If the amount that he's told SF doesn't match his tax records with HMRC, then they will put your application on hold and investigate. Might he have made a mistake?

Also if your Mum has income, she will still need to complete her part of your application.

it must be correct I'm positive of that, and yes my mum has income however they've sent no letters asking for proof and nothing has changed on her account either asking for evidence. It might be perhaps because it's such a minimal amount. I phoned them up and they require further evidence for my stepdad, P11 was mentioned although I have no idea why. My question is why have they left this so late, I applied in February ffs.

Ah, the P11D is for benefits provided by employers. Does your stepdad actually have any employer benefits? If so he will need to provide a copy of his P11D. If he doesn't, and he has entered this on his form by accident, then he will need to provide a letter to student finance stating that he doesn't have any employer benefits and that this was a mistake on the application.

You may have filled out your part of the application in February, but when did your stepdad submit his part of the application?

He doesn't receive any benefits at all and I'm fairly certain he did not fill in this section of the application. He submitted his information soon after (I did it for him) and was sent a letter for his p60 on the 12th of July which was sent off the same day.

You must have made a mistake somewhere. They wouldn't be asking for a P11D if they didn't think they needed it.

Does he have a P11D?

yeah I just found it out, do the benefits on there e.g. a company car (despite paying the fuel himself) add onto his earnings? if so I am royally screwed.

Yes, they do.

yikes, so my total household earnings are £42,574. Will that mean the uni are likely to not give me the bursary as it's for under £42,620 and my household earnings are so close to that or would I automatically qualify for that? I know it would obviously vary from institution to institution.

The HEIs base the bursaries off of what SFE awards you. If it's a bursary for under £42,620 then it will just be a bursary that HEI gives to anyone who gets any amount of Maintenance Grant.

What exactly have SFE awarded you?

for some reason only £3771 (I think) although I'm assuming that's due to not having the p11 and thus not being able to confirm my stepdad's earnings? I'd presume I'd get around £5700 otherwise? (I'm getting seriously worried now lol) Thanks for all your help so far btw you're great.

Yeah, you've been awarded the non means tested amount so far. Once they see a photocopy of the P11D they'll be able to complete the assessment. Any value on the P11D will be treated just the same as if it's income. If the full total is £42,620 or less, you'll get some maintenance grant and presumably the bursary from your HEI as well.

However, if your parental income is 15% lower than in the 13/14 tax year, you can do a CYI assessment once the 13/14 evidence has been processed, to be assessed on estimates for tax year 15/16 instead.

ah good I've just got to wait for this letter to arrive then! I was in a panic that something had gone drastically wrong for no reason. Thank you for all the help, I'd still be stressing out otherwise.