University Maintenance Grant confusion...

[Repta]

Then you're wrong about how much you're entitled to .

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educati...dentFinance/Applyingforthefirsttime/DG_174046

That only works if you fit into one of their drop down boxes. Anything that doesnt they throw a massive fit. I live with my step mum, havent lived with my mum in 6 years and my dad lives abroad. I spent 4 months proving that i was entitled to just get a loan. Then they decided i wasnt a british citizen because they had put i live with my stepmum and dad so they thought i lived abroad. Funny thing was i had sent my british passport to them 3 times at this stage and had made it very clear on a number of occasion i didnt live with my dad.

In the end i got a loan but they refused to even assess household income for a grant. This year instead trying to do things properly i have just answered each question 100% truthfully so now it appears to them that i live alone.

 

[Kristoph]

That's not quite true. Okay, so you can't get a grant (£2900), but you can get a loan of £4950*.



So a person sans le grant = £4950.

A person avec le grant = £2900 + £3500 = £6400

So the difference is now £1450... and, IMO, a household earning over the threshold we're discussing can afford to make up that difference.

I'll be entitled to the loan of 3.5k, which obviously you have to pay back. Others get a grant and a loan of £6.4k, £2900 of which is very helpful.. £4950 doesn't apply as I wouldnt be studying in london.

That sort of money helps a lot.

I just put into the calculator that my parents earn £40 000, and it said it'd give me more than that :s. Are you asking it to take into account your household income?

And no, I also tried putting that I was going to do teacher training, like the OP, and said my parents earn £55000... that gets me a £4106 loan (I guessed the £55k amount, because he said over £50k).

That calculator asks for your unearned income though, that's where the calculator gets me.

But we all know the system is crazy, so I'll just assume it's a mistake - and they'll want to know what my parents earn instead of me.

 

[Kristoph]

Won't you be able to access that sort of money by virtue of the fact you're doing teacher training, though?

It asks for your, then your parents' income, just so it can add the two together? I could be earning 10k a year, then my folks could be earning 40k... it's just easier to work out by adding those together, no?

Sorry, where I've been ticking the box for

"Have you been self supporting for 3 years prior to the start of your course?"

As "yes" - it's been removing the option to enter my parents income.

To be considered as supporting yourself financially you must have been meeting your own living costs for at least three years (this does not have to be three consecutive years) from any of the following sources:

• Income from employment - Yes
• pensions, allowances or other benefits paid by reason of a disabliity, or confinement, injury or sickness- No
• participating in a scheme for the training of the unemployed- No
• Benefits - No
• State studentships - No
• Scholarships, exhibitions and bursaries - No

You would not be considered as supporting yourself financially if you are meeting living costs from money paid by a parent. - My living costs are covered by myself, and have been for the past 3 years (2 living at uni self sufficiently, not borrowing money from parents, and the past 1 year paying rent to them and supporting myself)


Would you say this was right from the info above?

And yeah, I'll most likely get financial help (bursary for shortage subject) as I'm doing the course you say, but I realised that I'm under the above category also.

 

[Indy500]

Spare a thought for those that don't live with their parents and get cheated out of the grant through being unable to prove a negative (no contact with them).

University doesn't count as you've been drawing from student loans, Kristoph. Heck, it says right there in your quote: "3 years prior to the course".

 

[Kristoph]

Spare a thought for those that don't live with their parents and get cheated out of the grant through being unable to prove a negative (no contact with them).

University doesn't count as you've been drawing from student loans, Kristoph. Unless you didn't borrow anything, in which case you wouldn't likely need the support now...

That's out the window then.

Lets hope I get the bursary, as I really don't want to have to work through this year.

 

[Chris1712]

The whole system is crap, tough luck unfortunately. We're all in it together at least.
When I put in my details on the calculator thing, I get 3841 loan and 2218 grant. However, the letter I received last week with the 'Congratulations, your loan has been processed etc. and the calculated amount are....' comes out at 3497 loan, 1225 grant.
Errrrm thanks? I really can't be bothered phoning them to try and sort it as they really don't know what they're doing, but for ~700 quid of free money I guess I really should.

 

[Indy500]

That's out the window then.

Lets hope I get the bursary, as I really don't want to have to work through this year.

I think you could do a lot worse like trying to survive on about £5k a year in London...so much for working and paying taxes. Would have been better off under the £1k a year fees system at this rate.

The whole system is crap, tough luck unfortunately. We're all in it together at least.
When I put in my details on the calculator thing, I get 3841 loan and 2218 grant. However, the letter I received last week with the 'Congratulations, your loan has been processed etc. and the calculated amount are....' comes out at 3497 loan, 1225 grant.

Errrrm thanks? I really can't be bothered phoning them to try and sort it as they really don't know what they're doing, but for ~700 quid of free money I guess I really should.

The calculator's only a rough guide.

 

[Kristoph]

Does anyone know the likelihood of me getting the teacher training bursary for Chemistry, with the info I've provided so far. I can't see many, if any details about eligibility - which makes me wonder if there even is.

 

[Indy500]

Does anyone know the likelihood of me getting the teacher training bursary for Chemistry, with the info I've provided so far. I can't see many, if any details about eligibility - which makes me wonder if there even is.

Ask the DFES (Department for Education and Skills)?

 

[Chris1712]

The calculator's only a rough guide.

Sure, but what other things would account for a £1200 difference that I can't plumb into the calculator. Living away from home, household income of 28k with a single (widowed) parent. Studying in Bristol.

 

[Indy500]

Sure, but what other things would account for a £1200 difference that I can't plumb into the calculator. Living away from home, household income of 28k with a single (widowed) parent. Studying in Bristol.

Phone the SLC and ask? 0141 243 3600, pick the appropriate option and you should get through to a human