Daughter rejected by student finance as had gap year prior to course

Ade2017

Hi my daughter applied for finance in June 24 for her pgce course that she gained a place on whilst teaching temporarily in Vietnam last year and has been told today she’s rejected. She’s a British citizen and took a gap year teaching abroad last year to gain teaching experience as she was turned down straight after her undergraduate degree as teaching courses like experience. She still can appeal, and will, but due to how long it’s taken SFE to get this far she’s about to get kicked off her course in the next few days. She’s provided all evidence so far but says there’s no sign any of this has been looked at or even been taken into consideration. I know a lot of students who took a gap year and have had none of the misery of trying to get a student loan this year so it’s really confusing as to what the issue is. It’s very clear she was only ever temporarily there and had secured her place for September 24 back in November 23 while she was temporarily in Vietnam. What can we do other than appeal, which is going to take longer than her uni are willing to wait? I’ve contacted Martin Lewis and will take this as far as is necessary but that doesn’t stop her uni from kicking her out in the meantime Thanks

Hi Ade2017,

What evidence did your daughter send? Why was the application made ineligible?

Thanks,
Calum

Reply 2

Ade2017

OP

5

Original post by Calum SLC

Hi Ade2017,
What evidence did your daughter send? Why was the application made ineligible?
Thanks,
Calum

Hi proof she’s given are passport stamps, UK bank statements from time she was abroad, flight information, 3 month work permit and temporary residence proof, a P45 from her job in the UK after she returned from Vietnam and proof from two colleagues in Vietnam about the length of teaching job (1 year total). The reason given for ineligibility was because she was not in the Uk for 3 years prior to the course. Obviously she was apart from her 1 year teaching in Vietnam.

Hi Ade2017,

She should be eligible for funding if she can prove her absence from the UK in Vietnam was temporary. Do you have the details on how to make an appeal?

Thanks,
Calum

Reply 4

Ade2017

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Original post by Calum SLC

Hi Ade2017,
She should be eligible for funding if she can prove her absence from the UK in Vietnam was temporary. Do you have the details on how to make an appeal?
Thanks,
Calum

Hi I believe she does thanks Calum and is putting it together tonight, but as I said she’s off the course at the end of November and I have no hope the appeal ( though I know she should get finance) will come through in time. It’s painfully slow. Such a shame as her course finishes in June and she was getting on so well. Thank you for your help

Hi Ade2017,

I would also advise giving us a call directly and we can potentially send a referral if we have all the evidence. This will take around 10 working days so should be quicker than the appeal.

Thanks,
Calum

Reply 6

Ade2017

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5

Thank you Calum. She has called many times but I will tell her to try again today

Original post by Ade2017

Thank you Calum. She has called many times but I will tell her to try again today

Hi Ade,

If she calls again and explains above we can send the referral like Callum said. The team will review the evidence and confirm if its been accepted or not.

Thanks,
Claire

Reply 8

Ade2017

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Original post by Claire SFE

Hi Ade,
If she calls again and explains above we can send the referral like Callum said. The team will review the evidence and confirm if its been accepted or not.
Thanks,
Claire

Thank you. She’s already sent all the evidence in but was rejected after her complaint so she’s sending in an appeal. Any phone conversation she’s had over the past months have not helped at all but she will call as soon as she’s able. Her course is full time at school/ uni Monday to Friday plus homework and lesson planning etc, so finding time to sort all of this out is proving very stressful. We know she’s eligible but why she’s being discriminated against is the big question. We know so many people who took a gap year who have had zero problem. She was repaying her student undergrad last year via her UK bank account. Surely slc can see all of this? Tbh it doesn’t seem like anyone has looked at her evidence at all because if they had it’s obvious she is eligible. Plus she’s off the course in the next few days as it’s not been paid, is struggling for food and rent and if she speaks to uni they say speak to slc and slc suggest she speaks to uni to get more time which uni now won’t give. But she will phone, once again. Thanks for your time Claire

Original post by Ade2017

Thank you. She’s already sent all the evidence in but was rejected after her complaint so she’s sending in an appeal. Any phone conversation she’s had over the past months have not helped at all but she will call as soon as she’s able. Her course is full time at school/ uni Monday to Friday plus homework and lesson planning etc, so finding time to sort all of this out is proving very stressful. We know she’s eligible but why she’s being discriminated against is the big question. We know so many people who took a gap year who have had zero problem. She was repaying her student undergrad last year via her UK bank account. Surely slc can see all of this? Tbh it doesn’t seem like anyone has looked at her evidence at all because if they had it’s obvious she is eligible. Plus she’s off the course in the next few days as it’s not been paid, is struggling for food and rent and if she speaks to uni they say speak to slc and slc suggest she speaks to uni to get more time which uni now won’t give. But she will phone, once again. Thanks for your time Claire

You're welcome!
Thanks,
Claire

Reply 10

Ade2017

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5

so she rang today and was told because she’s marked as ineligible a phone referral is not able to be done. My daughter has also sent in her appeal today, but obviously this process has taken from June 2024 and we’ve only just got to appeal (and isn’t allowed a phone referral apparently ) time is fast running out. I cannot believe how she has been treated. Hopefully the media/ Martin Lewis can help shed light on to why she’s been so discriminated against whilst others get funding so easily even when in the same position/ aren’t British etc etc it’s ludicrous and I’m afraid saying we should telephone slc, many , many times at this point gets us nowhere.

Hi Ade2017,

I'm sorry to hear that but unfortunately we cannot do anything further to help on The Student Room as we don't have account access here. I can only advise to call and an advisor should be able to send the referral if we have all the evidence we need and it has been reviewed incorrectly.

Thanks,
Calum

Reply 12

Ade2017

OP

5

Original post by Calum SLC

Hi Ade2017,
I'm sorry to hear that but unfortunately we cannot do anything further to help on The Student Room as we don't have account access here. I can only advise to call and an advisor should be able to send the referral if we have all the evidence we need and it has been reviewed incorrectly.
Thanks,
Calum

Thanks Calum, unfortunately this seems to be unable to be done according to the call handlers. They don’t want to do that and aren’t interested in referring. I genuinely don’t think anyone has actually looked at the evidence at all.

Hi Ade2017,

I am sorry to hear of your experience. We cannot check accounts here, so it would need to be a call or live chat for an adviser to look into this further. If an appeal has already been made, the team should be directly in touch with the student.

Thanks, Clare

Daughter rejected by student finance as had gap year prior to course

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