The Student Room Group

'Independent Student' why do you have to be 25?!

I'm 22, a uni graduate, and currently living independently and financially supporting myself.

I'm planning on doing a PGCE next year and I would like to do that in the city I did my undergrad degree in (where I currently work and live). However, by the looks of things it seems that this isn't going to be possible for me as I don't fall under the criteria as an 'independent student' and my dad earns a good wage, therefore I will get the lowest loan. My parents no longer give me any money, I am entirely self sufficient and they are not prepared to pay my rent during my PGCE. Why is it that they are expected to fund my living costs when I will be 23 years old and no longer live at home??

Do student finance take into account that I live independently and am financially independent, even if it isn't for the last three years? Or are my parents expected to pay for the living costs of their independent adult daughter? (even when they can't.)

I can't and won't force my parents to give me money. But it will mean I can no longer do the PGCE course I want to do. This seems completely unfair when there could be someone else in the exact same position as me but because their parents are divorced/on a lower income, they get to go to whatever uni they want and be funded for it.

Has anyone had any experience with this?
Original post by cb3895
I'm 22, a uni graduate, and currently living independently and financially supporting myself.

I'm planning on doing a PGCE next year and I would like to do that in the city I did my undergrad degree in (where I currently work and live). However, by the looks of things it seems that this isn't going to be possible for me as I don't fall under the criteria as an 'independent student' and my dad earns a good wage, therefore I will get the lowest loan. My parents no longer give me any money, I am entirely self sufficient and they are not prepared to pay my rent during my PGCE. Why is it that they are expected to fund my living costs when I will be 23 years old and no longer live at home??

Do student finance take into account that I live independently and am financially independent, even if it isn't for the last three years? Or are my parents expected to pay for the living costs of their independent adult daughter? (even when they can't.)

I can't and won't force my parents to give me money. But it will mean I can no longer do the PGCE course I want to do. This seems completely unfair when there could be someone else in the exact same position as me but because their parents are divorced/on a lower income, they get to go to whatever uni they want and be funded for it.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

Most PGCE courses are eligible for government bursaries on top of student finance, have you looked into if you are?
Reply 2
Original post by claireestelle
Most PGCE courses are eligible for government bursaries on top of student finance, have you looked into if you are?


Hi,
Unfortunately I want to go into SEN primary and got a 2.1 so no bursary.
HI cb3895,

The Government set the rules for student finance and deem a student as financially dependent on their parents if they are under 25, unmarried and have no dependent children of their own.

A student can be accepted as independent if they can provide evidence to show that they have been supporting themselves for 36 months (3 years). The evidence does not need to cover consecutive years. You indicated you didn't meet the criteria but I wasn't sure whether you knew it was an option for us to assess you for independence based on self-support.

We can accept evidence that shows self-support either proof of income or benefits. Acceptable evidence can include:

P60; month 12/week 52 wage slip; benefit receipt letters; Statement of Earnings; Employers letters; Tax returns; accounts.


If you are sending evidence in for this, could you please enclose a covering letter and ask to be considered as an independent student based on self-support. The independent team are currently taking 17 working days to process this evidence from the date of receipt.



Thanks


Laura
Reply 4
Original post by Laura S SFE
HI cb3895,

The Government set the rules for student finance and deem a student as financially dependent on their parents if they are under 25, unmarried and have no dependent children of their own.

A student can be accepted as independent if they can provide evidence to show that they have been supporting themselves for 36 months (3 years). The evidence does not need to cover consecutive years. You indicated you didn't meet the criteria but I wasn't sure whether you knew it was an option for us to assess you for independence based on self-support.

We can accept evidence that shows self-support either proof of income or benefits. Acceptable evidence can include:

P60; month 12/week 52 wage slip; benefit receipt letters; Statement of Earnings; Employers letters; Tax returns; accounts.


If you are sending evidence in for this, could you please enclose a covering letter and ask to be considered as an independent student based on self-support. The independent team are currently taking 17 working days to process this evidence from the date of receipt.



Thanks


Laura



Hi Laura,
I haven't been self supporting for three years, it will just be for this year but every year now as my parents now deem me an independent adult (because I am 22 and graduated). It means I will get an insufficient amount of loan to live on and no financial support from my parents either (understandably? I'm an adult) so i am left with no choice but to not do a PGCE? I don't know what choices I can do without government funding
Original post by cb3895
Hi Laura,
I haven't been self supporting for three years, it will just be for this year but every year now as my parents now deem me an independent adult (because I am 22 and graduated). It means I will get an insufficient amount of loan to live on and no financial support from my parents either (understandably? I'm an adult) so i am left with no choice but to not do a PGCE? I don't know what choices I can do without government funding



Hi cb3895,

If you are under 25 and do not meet any of the criteria to be assessed as an independent student, you can still be assessed on your parents household
income.


Here's a link for The Student Finance Calculator,

http://bit.ly/2haPAgh

I advise you to enter your parents household income and where you will be living during the term time, you always get a higher amount, if living away from your parents, to determine how much more that you mayreceive.

You can also speak to your university regarding any bursaries or scholarships you can apply for.

Thanks Rona
Reply 6
Original post by Rona SFE
Hi cb3895,

If you are under 25 and do not meet any of the criteria to be assessed as an independent student, you can still be assessed on your parents household
income.


Here's a link for The Student Finance Calculator,

http://bit.ly/2haPAgh

I advise you to enter your parents household income and where you will be living during the term time, you always get a higher amount, if living away from your parents, to determine how much more that you mayreceive.

You can also speak to your university regarding any bursaries or scholarships you can apply for.

Thanks Rona



Hi Rona,
But my household income shouldn't have to include my parents income, that's what I'm trying to say. I don't live with them, I don't get any money from them. My dad earns a decent wage so whether or not I'm self sufficient or not means I will get the lowest loan, unable to get financial support from my parents, and therefore cannot do a PGCE.
How is this fair?
Original post by cb3895
Hi Rona,
But my household income shouldn't have to include my parents income, that's what I'm trying to say. I don't live with them, I don't get any money from them. My dad earns a decent wage so whether or not I'm self sufficient or not means I will get the lowest loan, unable to get financial support from my parents, and therefore cannot do a PGCE.
How is this fair?


Have you got any friends who you could marry/civil partner? If you're married and under 25 then you're classed as independent and your spouse's income is assessed.
Your other options are
- adopt a child
- have a child
- be irreconcilably estranged from your parents for over 12 months
- wait until you're 25
- wait until you've got 36 months of evidence of self support
- be assessed as dependent

The definitions are based on the assumption of students studying undergrad degrees - they only seem "odd" for PGCEs because PGCE funding is more generous than other postgrad courses.
Reply 8
Original post by PQ
Have you got any friends who you could marry/civil partner? If you're married and under 25 then you're classed as independent and your spouse's income is assessed.
Your other options are
- adopt a child
- have a child
- be irreconcilably estranged from your parents for over 12 months
- wait until you're 25
- wait until you've got 36 months of evidence of self support
- be assessed as dependent

The definitions are based on the assumption of students studying undergrad degrees - they only seem "odd" for PGCEs because PGCE funding is more generous than other postgrad courses.



Sees pretty *****y that someone who's parents are divorced or on a lower income gets to go to whatever uni they want doing what they want, even if they're self supporting themselves just like I am.
So much for equality of opportunity!
Original post by cb3895
Sees pretty *****y that someone who's parents are divorced or on a lower income gets to go to whatever uni they want doing what they want, even if they're self supporting themselves just like I am.
So much for equality of opportunity!


Anyone can get full support by marrying a fellow student.
Reply 10
Original post by PQ
Anyone can get full support by marrying a fellow student.


Hahaha as good a loop hole as it is I really shouldn't have to marry someone to be able to do a PGCE!!!
Means testing can do one
Original post by cb3895
Hahaha as good a loop hole as it is I really shouldn't have to marry someone to be able to do a PGCE!!!
Means testing can do one


You don't have to marry someone - no one is stopping you from doing a PGCE, they're just saying that you're not independent *enough* to get additional student loans to live on. You'll still get a tuition loan and a maintenance loan (and access to bursaries and support from your university).

If you'd prefer you could apply to do an MA - then you'd get ~ £10k loan to cover BOTH fees and living costs and would repay an extra 6% of your income after graduating.

As I said - it's only a "bad" deal if you ignore that it's a very generous deal (even with the basic loan) compared to other PG funding.
Original post by cb3895
Could you live off £3,928 in 10 months?
I wouldn't get anything from the university, they assume daddy can pay for it all. (Not true, obviously.)

You'd be eligible for hardship funds if you could prove hardship.

Presumably this course has a September/October 2018 start - that gives you a year to save up more to supplement the £4k from student support.

There's charitable grants you could apply for that might add a few extra bits (you might find that you're eligible for more because of your dad's job - a lot of charitable grants are restricted to children of certain professions).

You have plenty of options - the absolute worst case scenario is you work as a teaching assistant and save up for an extra year (or two years after which you'd have 36 months of self support and be able to get the full loan).
Original post by cb3895
Could you live off £3,928 for 11 months?
Uni wouldn't give me anything, they assume daddy can pay for it all (obviously not true)

With a year to save up - yes. There's only ~£4k difference between the basic loan and full support. I might not be able to save £4k but close to it.

Your university will provide hardship funds if you can prove hardship (through showing your bank statements).
Reply 14
Original post by PQ
With a year to save up - yes. There's only ~£4k difference between the basic loan and full support. I might not be able to save £4k but close to it.

Your university will provide hardship funds if you can prove hardship (through showing your bank statements).



I am a Teaching Assistant, I earn a very low wage. Definitely not enough to be saving 4k in 2 years, let alone 1.....

I would have to accept a place at the university first, knowing I don't have enough loan to fund my year. If they didn't think I was eligible, then I would be truly stumped then wouldn't I.
Edit: just looked at the criteria for hardship fund - i don't cut the bill.
Looks like I'll have to wait until I'm 25 to do a PGCE.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by cb3895
I am a Teaching Assistant, I earn a very low wage. Definitely not enough to be saving 4k in 2 years, let alone 1.....

I would have to accept a place at the university first, knowing I don't have enough loan to fund my year. If they didn't think I was eligible, then I would be truly stumped then wouldn't I.

You can accept a place at university and then defer if it turns out you can't afford it. If you think you can afford it but your situation changes then that's what hardship funds are for.

Have a search on https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/?_ga=2.263046408.520641431.1509033705-283783840.1509033705 to see if you're eligible for any grants.

Accepting a place at university isn't a financial commitment. You only commit to study the course when you enrol.
Original post by cb3895
Hi Rona,
But my household income shouldn't have to include my parents income, that's what I'm trying to say. I don't live with them, I don't get any money from them. My dad earns a decent wage so whether or not I'm self sufficient or not means I will get the lowest loan, unable to get financial support from my parents, and therefore cannot do a PGCE.
How is this fair?



Hi cb3895,

Student Finance have set the age of dependency at 25 years old.

If you have not self supported for the three years prior to the start of your course and do not meet any of the other criteria to be assessed as independant under 25, then to be assessed for the higher amount of loan we would use your parents income to calculate your entitlement.

I appreciate that if your parents income is high that may mean that you are not entitled to any additional support. You may be entitled to additional support through bursaries and scholarships, a student advisor at your university will be able to give you advice on these.

Thanks Rona
Reply 17
Hi there I have recently applied for an independent student and have provided the right evidence and I am waiting to hear back from student finance. The evidence I have sent in is 3 year evidence of my yearly earnings. I earnt 7000 in one year and over 9000 on the other two years what is the threshold you have to earn to meet the criteria of being independent ?
Original post by Megss96
Hi there I have recently applied for an independent student and have provided the right evidence and I am waiting to hear back from student finance. The evidence I have sent in is 3 year evidence of my yearly earnings. I earnt 7000 in one year and over 9000 on the other two years what is the threshold you have to earn to meet the criteria of being independent ?


Hello,

We don’t have a specific threshold. Based on the income you’ve provided it’s likely you will be accepted, however the assessors will make the final decision.

It’s currently taking around 13 working days to process self support evidence.


Thanks, Lynsey.

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