Student Finance UK Question

[cover drive man]

Student finance sent me a letter saying they couldn't pay my grant last year due to not having enough information (although I sent everything they asked for) now they're claiming I owe them the £3300 they gave me, money I have no hope of getting hold of. A woman on the phone said to send a p60 so we did on monday but today we got a letter asking us to pay the three grand. Can anyone help clear things up because this is doing my head in.

 

[GIMH]

Don't really know the specifics but any company with such a debt outstanding would accept a payment plan

 

[cover drive man]

Don't really know the specifics but any company with such a debt outstanding would accept a payment plan

I've just had a look, they said they'll take it out of the money I'm receiving next year (about 6 grand) leaving me with just £2700 for the year , but I'm sure there's a mistake. I just hope when they get the p60 they'll sort it.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

This P60 that they have requested, is it your own or your parents?

And is the combined income above the threshold for a grant?

 

[91Jmay]

The P60 should sort it, the grant is based on your parents income I assume and thats what the P60 will prove. If not get in touch with your Uni, they have people to help for stuff like that.

 

[cpr]

Student Finance **** up everyones money. This time of year the taxes helplines are full of calls from worried parents needing pay/tax letters because SF can't understand how income work. I'd say it used to be 50% of the work I had at this time of year.

If either of your parents have a non standard tax code, expect the P60 to be spat back at you with a line stating 'you have other income, we want this' - because 5 years ago someone in Student Finance decided that any deduction in a code is other income (they were thinking of stuff like company cars etc - but most deductions are either split allowances or us collecting underpayments, something SF can't fathom as being non of their ****ing business)

Expect a whole summer of hassle and worry

 

[sledger]

Isn't there a flat rate of student loan etc... that every EU citizen is entitled to?

 

[cpr]

Dunno, I'm too old for that ****. However still wouldn't stop student finance messing up. I'm sure they think they spend all day sat on their elbows...

 

[91Jmay]

Isn't there a flat rate of student loan etc... that every EU citizen is entitled to?

No. There is if you study in a foreign EU country as an EU student but home countries set their own fees.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, they are truly incompetent for sure. I've not had anything to do with them for ages either, but I am pretty sure that there is a non-means-tested amount that everyone is entitled to, and it'd be higher than what CDM has been offered.

 

[sledger]

No. There is if you study in a foreign EU country as an EU student but home countries set their own fees.

Yeah, I'm not talking about tuition fees.

 

[Marcuss]

Yeah, the basic maintenance loan is about 3.5k iirc but the issue is CDM owes them money. They're giving him an amount well about the minimum but they're repaying his debt to them out of it so it is less.

 

[sledger]

Ah, fair dos. That's pretty sucky in that case.

 

[91Jmay]

Its not a flat loan rate across the EU either as foreign students don't get a maintenance grant in the UK.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, apologies. EU nationals are only entitled to tuition fee loans.

 

[cover drive man]

Thanks guys, this should be sorted when they see they have the information they needed to give me the grant last year. Just waiting on a letter.