Student Loans

[algy_lacey]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone else has any experience of student loans the second time around. I've called and written to various people from the loans company and LEAs and received different answers from everyone - which is very frustrating!!!

Basically, my first student loan was from Sheffield LEA, which was where I grew up. I'm now living and working in Liverpool, and will have been here for about 18 months when I leave in September to study in Sheffield which will once again become my permanent address. A man from the customer services desk for the loan application website told me that my second loan would come from the same LEA as my previous one (i.e. Sheffield), no matter where I was now living. However, when I actually applied online, I was assigned to Liverpool local authority. I then emailed their "help" service explaining my situation and asking which authority I should have been assigned to. I received a very unhelpful one-line reply telling me to contact Liverpool. So I phoned Liverpool, and they said I should call Sheffield. When I pointed out that I had been told to call them, I was then told that I wasn't entitled to a loan for a second degree anyway. When I explained that this was not, in fact, the case I was told that my loan would come from whichever awarding authority I was living in. But what about subsequent years when my permanent address will have changed? Will I end up with one year's worth of loan from Liverpool and then the next four from Sheffield?

The whole thing seems very confused, and I'm tempted to think that there is no definite policy on this anywhere. I'm concerned that any kind of hiccup could result in me not getting a loan at all! I'd try calling the loans people again, but I would have no confidence that whatever reply I received would actually be the correct one.

I think that all I can do now is write to the central body and get it in writing one way or another - then I can use that to ensure that either Sheffield or Liverpool gives me a loan.

If anyone else has not yet applied for their loan, I recommend that you make a start on it now! One big headache....

Claire.

[mussed]

All loans are from the student loans company, it doesn't matter too much where you're living. Liverpool will probably end up being nominally in charge of your loans for all the years - their loss, really! I'd just apply to them with your Liverpool address. Bear in mind that most people move for their degree and yet stay with their original loans area: I'm at Oxford, going to Newcastle and buying a flat there, yet the Scottish Awards Agency are still (unfortunately) going to be my LEA for the course cos I'm from Glasgow.

Incidentally, though, for any other Scottish students: the DoH will pay your final year fees if you are resident in England for the first three years and can prove it. That does make things a little better off...

[northwill100]

algy_lacy, apply to Liverpool, as that's where you live presently. Doesn't really matter where you are for subsequent years, Liverpool will assess you for those as well. I am a grad (now 2nd yr medic) & my assessing LEA for my medical degree is where I lived during application & not where I now live. As mussed says, once in the system it really doesn't matter.

[pharmw]

Hi

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I applied for my loan this weekend online and have been assigned to the LEA I live in now and not my previous one for my BSc.

The way I see it is they have details for my previous LEA so if they need to contact them they can plus I am not expecting any tuition fee support - I am just applying for the maintenance loan which as mentioned previously comes from the student loans company.

It is a good idea to apply early (now) to face any problems that could arise before term starts. I am going to wait and see what happens and if after a month or so I have not heard anything I will then start to chase them.

[Meg01]

Incidentally, though, for any other Scottish students: the DoH will pay your final year fees if you are resident in England for the first three years and can prove it. That does make things a little better off...

Just being nosey really - but how will your situation work on Newcastle GEP. I'm Scottish (well Scottish resident) and I ended up turning down my Newcastle offer last year re. the problems with funding .. does that mean you'll get the bursary in year 4?

As I said just being nosey, and have become slightly obsessed with the incompetence of SAAS (10 different people told me 10 entirely different things!).

Meg

[mussed]

Just being nosey really - but how will your situation work on Newcastle GEP. I'm Scottish (well Scottish resident) and I ended up turning down my Newcastle offer last year re. the problems with funding .. does that mean you'll get the bursary in year 4?

As I said just being nosey, and have become slightly obsessed with the incompetence of SAAS (10 different people told me 10 entirely different things!).

Yeah, I saw that... doesn't the funding suck! The Bursary is given by the Department of Health - but they also pay the tuition fees of every English and Welsh final-year student in medicine in England and Wales. Their funding is, I gather, separate from LEA bursaries. I rang the DoH today, and they told me that if I could prove three years' residency in England - and I plan to buy a flat in Newcastle, probably next year - then they'd be able to pay my fees in the normal way in the fourth year because by then I'd have my three years behind me. The bursary for GEP has to be applied for with the address you're resident in in the August/September you start, and you can't have just moved there, so that unfortunately rules me out.

I'm in a very lucky position in a way because the bursary even if I had it would make little difference to me: I'm only 20 and my parents earn above the means-testing threshold, and can afford (to an extent) to support me, so all I'd get would be fees. If I was English I'd be just £6000 better off (in the fees for years 2 and 3); if I studied in Scotland it would be about the same gain, plus the benefits of living at home at least to begin with - but that's easily offset by not having that extra year at university. SAAS will only give me maintence loans (of about £2k) either way.

However, as a Scottish student now going into my second degree in England - having not had anywhere near as much loans support as my friends here as an undergraduate - I am seriously hacked off at devolution! I'm sorry it affected your decisions, they should have put some of the money they spent on the Scottish Parliament into funding graduate entry medics clearly

[Meg01]

Ah it's incredible to see someone has been told exactly the same as me! Sounds like yo've done your homework which is great! I have heard stories of scots/irish applying for grant at end of the year 1, and being shocked at the outcome!

To be honest I do understand where the SE are coming from on this one. It seemed weird to me, as essentially I am English, but they subsidise our fees and provide the bursary only if you stay in Scotland - i.e. more chance of staying here long term. There is already the problem of the English undergrads returning (often understandably) home to England/Wales etc.

It made finanical sense to stay here for me - work, flat etc. but why does it have to be so damm complicated. The people I met at Newcastle were an awesome bunch - both 1st and 2nd year - so I'm sure it'll be the same again -so if you end up there, best of luck. Some might say they have a 'knack for picking the good 'ens- - ha ha

ps. don't rule out SAAS mucking up and paying your fees for you. Whether right or wrong, i don't know, but the majority of the Scots grads on my course pay no fees here whatsoever!

[mussed]

Yes, but given that, why don't I (basically engaged to an English guy, living in England for three years at uni, zero desire to return) get the DoH bursary?
And Newcastle does look like fun, it's the best one I visited and the only thing I didn't like was the location (other half in the south). But I'm biting the bullet - I know I'll really enjoy the course, everyone seems fab and I made really great mates with the interviewee after me and he got in too... I can't wait! Having said that, I know a lot of people at Edin and they all seem to love it

[amy2705598]

Regarding student loans, does anyone know if we are entitled for an additional loan for each week extra that the course is longer than the standard. I was convinced that this was the case, but I can't seem to find that information again. The NHS bursary does give an extra allowance for each extra week, maybe this is what I was thinking of. Does anyone know for sure?


Edit: Gave just answered my own question! (http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk...chema=PROTOCOL)

Loan rates for extra attendance if your course is longer than normal
You can get an extra amount of income-assessed loan to cover each extra week you have to be on your course above 30 term-time weeks (plus the short holidays). If you have to be on the course for 45 weeks or more in any 12-month period, you will get an extra amount of loan as if you were studying for 52 weeks. The most you can get each week is as follows:


Loan rates Extra per week

London: £100
Elsewhere in UK: £79
Overseas: £109
Living with Parents: £52

[algy_lacey]

Thanks for the comments everyone! You've helped to set my mind at ease

mussed: Just wondering - what did you study at Oxford? I did my first degree there (Biological Sciences, Hertford, matriculated 2002).