Can my uni throw me out immediately? Really upset pls help

[incrediblydistraught]

Late paying last installment for my masters degree, having some financial difficulty. I went in and spoke to them and asked if would be ok to finish paying by August followed up with call last week.

They have suspended me now and can't access any of my student accounts. I have called and am really distraught I can't fucking cope I have just spent £8000 and a whole year trying to make myself more employable AND THE WHOLE THING IS A FUCKING WASTE.

Nobody could say if they will let me finish. I don't know what to do I feel so misled as far as I knew it was ok to finsih paying by August and then suspending my email how the fuck can I communicate with anyone at the uni to even try t o resolve it????????

Shaking with fear no matter what I do how hard I try it all gets taken away from me I am a laughing stock. I have paid £8000 all for nothing, my grades are all good and its all for nothing.

Studying for a postgraduate degree it's reasonable to assume you're an adult with some knowledge of how the world works

Yes, in the real world, if you send someone an email, they open it!

In the real world, people don't demand you only email from a specified email address. If, as in the OP's case, they've been chucked out of their uni account, they'll have no access to information telling them whether their other email is on their student record, or even that they need to do this.

If they email you from an "incorrect" email address and you ignore it, how will they know it's because they used the "wrong" email address and not because you're not interested in helping, or not receiving your emails at all?

OP, as of now, make sure you get all communication in writing.
By email, or by handing/sending a letter, get it signed upon receipt.
Explain the situation and make a specific request to pay at a later date.

If you do have meetings, draw up a short summary of the conversation and get it signed by both of you.
If you need to call, ask for their email address and send them a summary of the conversation asking them to confirm it.

At my uni there's no restriction on what email address you use. Also the academic staff have the power to give the administration people a kick up the bum if needed. This would of course only apply if access had been cut off in error or if they were being slow to sort things out. They would not intervene in situations where the correct procedure was being followed.
Op needs to find out whether her appeal was disallowed or whether it is just an automatic suspension. If the former, discuss what acceptable payment would be asap. The academic tutor can probably help with getting the suspension lifted quicker. They will be a lot more willing to help a good student who has not been any trouble up to now. But I've seen tutors go to enormous lengths to get terrible students through masters - they really don't want anyone to fail!

At my uni there's no restriction on what email address you use That would surprise me. But is of no use to OP whose Uni may not have the same procedure. Which is why it was mentioned int he first place.

It isn't a fatuous suggestion. Just one that might save an already anxious woman more worry. Imagine if they refused to answer her email.. how would she feel then?

At my uni it's always the academics that need a rocket from the administration team.

If you don't want to approach your tutor directly, is there a student office linked to the academic department you could contact? In our University, they're used to signposting students from undergrad through to MSc and PhD and will have access to all the academics' diaries so can tell you if your tutor is around.

There's also a good chance that the admin person in the department who registered you works in or closely with that office and they will not want to lose you in the statistics.

To add to the email debate, we got told that we could only respond to students using their University emails, but they all have a personal alternate email on their student record that we could check if in doubt. And calling or texting academics is fairly common in the departments I've worked in as students might be on industry placements in other cities.

@OP
I presume this hasn't happened out of the blue.

The Uni must have asked for the payment multiple times before it got to this stage?

They sent their invoice and I went in and spoke to one of the finance staff about a month ago. Called last week or week before to follow up. I asked could I change the payment scheme, as had sudden expense. He said August would probably be the last acceptable time to pay, I agreed August wsa fair. We graduate at Christmas.

Anyway it's been sorted now as have borrowed off a family member to cover the major sudden expense that originally fucked things up. Which I hate doing but it is what it is.

No sooner had I gone on the payment portal after being granted access to pay this afternoon I then got an email saying if I have any problems paying to go in and speak to somebody to negotiate a different payment plan which is absolute bullshit since that's what I was trying to do in the first place since about a month ago.

Starting to think the person who is currently on holidays didn't put my circumstances forward as to why I was requesting delaying payment. So they just automatically denied it at the panel. I had offered a copy of the sudden huge bill (and no, before someone jumps down my throat it was not a routine bill they are all planned for this was something out of the ordinary that had me over a barrel and in a very bad situation if I just ignored paying it) to show why I was asking to change my paying plan, but at that time he said no it wasn't necessary.

But at least it's sorted.

@realsisterpersistor - we’d give generic advice. Or we’d take a phone call and check a conjunction of specific recorded information like full name, dob, student number and recorded address for eg. You know - to identify a person before possibly divulging sensitive financial or personal information to a complete random under the data protection act

Phew! Thank goodness for that. Well done for persisting.

OP - I’m glad it’s sorted. Big big relief. It sounds like it was more automated as opposed specific to you although the person who offered the latter payment date of August should have emailed to confirm so save you this stress. Glad it’s sorted though!

BrunetteBuns that's not the same, then, as not answering emails from non official emails at all, which was implied above.

This happened to me EVERY SINGLE YEAR during my undergrad degree - bloody student finance always missed the payment deadline even though I got my application in on time. It was really easy to sort out with a quick trip to the finance office to explain the situation.

Glad you have it sorted, anyway

Hey, take a breath!
You sound like you have had a lot to deal with and well done for trying to improve yourself and your situation. Nothing will help if you let your temper get in the way. Take a few days off.go and see the guy you talked to originally, get names, times dates you made the ‘informal’ arrangement. Then call back the person checking with the ‘boss’. Perhaps, all you need to do is give it time?
If not, take all the info to the directors office and calmly ask what has happened and why. Then, try to work out a solution! I know you’re a very bright person, use those brains to go around the problem!
Good luck!

@resisterpersister - I do believe I stated that we request contact is from the university email address or an alternative recorded one.

I never said we wouldn’t answer them.

BrunetteBuns my reply about the real world, was to this post which was unnecessarily rude to the OP and assumed the email would be unanswered:

So how is a student supposed to contact you if their account has been cut off in error?

Apply knuckles to door, rap sharply. It's called knocking. If you can't find the tutor's office go to the degree office.

Studying for a postgraduate degree it's reasonable to assume you're an adult with some knowledge of how the world works. If you can't figure out how to contact your tutor in the event of a simple email failure, how do you suppose you'll manage on the degree

Have you applied for a student loan op? For Masters it’s paid directly to you, so you can pay back family member and have money in hand.

I cannot imagine how stressful this must be. I pulled out before the dissertation and converted to a pgcm because I couldn't keep up the commitment. If they had told me I had lost everything I'm not sure if I would have been able to handle it. I hope it works out x

Let's hope the person who wrote the bold words above has a job where they have no human or animal contact. Actually, even robots deserve better.

Well done OP. Think back to how panicked you were, and now you've found a solution and can move on. If and when you feel that panicked again and think it's all a bit hopeless, just remind yourself of this. OK the outcome is less than ideal and life often feels like an uphill battle, but you got this sorted out and you can move on and concentrate on getting your degree.

Come back and let us know when you’ve aced the degree
Best of luck

Let's hope the person who wrote the bold words above has a job where they have no human or animal contact. Actually, even robots deserve better.

@onioncrumble well said

they do have a point though. People won't say it in real life, but they sure think it!

Well done for sorting it @incrediblydistraught that's not easy!
Yes let us know when you've aced the course

Glad it's sorted. But what a bunch of tossers. Good luck with completing the course!