SFE overpayment

Hi,
I am currently studying and have been given a maintenance loan and parental grant however at a reduced figure due to starting a different course earlier in January but I had to leave due to severe mental health and just could not carry on.
I got better and decided to proceed with a similar course this September. I have already applied for the financial hardship and they have allowed me to fully defer the grant overpayment but not the loan. I am only financially able to proceed with my course if I am able to get the full student loan package that is available to me. I worked out all my monthly income and outgoings to decide if it was finallcialy viable before applying based on the full amount and it just about works. I am still going to be struggling even with the over payment deferred.

What I didn’t inform SFE was that o had to leave my previous course due to mental health and all this stress is triggering again. I have now been told that mental health is a compelling reason to withdraw from the courses. I have doctors notes to support this.

So what I think I am trying to find out is is there anything I can put forward to SFE to ask for a different outcome.

I understand that I need to pay this back and in no way trying to avoid that. I am just struggling to understand how can survive.

Thanks in advance 😊

Reply 1

Leah SLC

Official Rep

Hi there. Do you only have 1 year of previous study? The compelling personal reasons is only used in cases where your Tuition Fee Loan is blocked due to previous study. The Maintenance Loan is not affected by this.

If the financial hardship department have emailed you back with the outcome of deferring your grant and you still feel like you need the full maintenance loan you would need to reply to them with further evidence as to why your incomings and outgoings would leave you in hardship. They may not have enough information to determine that the overpayment you have will affect you financially.

Thanks, Leah.