My experience with Student Finance England living away from parents in Scotland

I had been given apparently the 'maximum' amount of maintenance loan, although I have a household income of £70k , I am living away from my parents outside of London in Scotland. I am not supported by my family financially and I am having to work hard for the money. I spoke to SFE and I have told them that my friend in SFNI has had been given £6,500 whereas I had been given £4,600. Her family has a larger household income where hers is around £120,000 and mine is £70,000. I know I shouldn't be complaining with how much I get, but I only get £50 from my family and that is an emergency just in case I ned the money. I am also a Nursing student and I have overall 2,600 hours of placements to get through for he whole 3 years of University and I am not able to even work at least 3 times a week because I am having to cover a full time-job for placements with no payment. I find it unfair and what should I do because I know that I should be entitled to more moaintenance loan, or am i wrong?

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Have you submitted household income information and any required evidence?
£70k is a very high household income - you wouldn't normally get much if anything above the basic loan amount if your household income is that high. Your family are expected to make up the difference.

If your family are unwilling to support you then your options are to either take a gap year and save up, work alongside your studies or find additional funding (are you entitled to any NHS bursaries?).
Alternatively if you meet the criteria to be classed as independent from your parents then their income wouldn't be used for your household income calculation. The cheapest/quickest way to meet the criteria to be classed as independent is to get married/civil partnered to a fellow student in a similar situation - you'd then both be eligible for the maximum loan amounts.

Reply 2

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Ube

I had been given apparently the 'maximum' amount of maintenance loan, although I have a household income of £70k ,....

Another option is to consider transferring to a uni in England where you would be eligible for an annual training grant of £5,000 (plus reimbursement for expenses for placements, etc.) from the NHS Learning Support Fund:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf