To write to Student finance?

[QuestionableMouse]

Just had a letter from them saying they can't give me finance for my MA as they can't find the course.

I've been sat on the phone for almost an hour waiting to speak to someone and I have to leave for work shortly. I'm on 8-6s for the next week or so and I know I'll struggle to find time to ring them.

Wibu to write to them, including the course information? I start at the end of Sept so need it sorting pretty quickly.

Thank you

Email them?

Why would you be unreasonable? Email them?

Don't expect a fast response, to pp's I'm not sure you can email them?

They're open til 8 and they open office hours in a Saturday on the phones.

There are a lot of dodgy course providers who set themselves up claiming to teach a legitimate qualification but without the proper credentials to do so. Is the provider of this course a proper official university or college? If the course isn't registered with Student Finance that may be an alarm bell that the course isn't legitimate - have you already paid any fees or deposits?

They don’t do email... they’re notoriously badly ran. I would keep trying on phone, but yes if you write to them that might get ball rolling.

It is 100% a proper uni (Sunderland).

No email address to email them.

I'm probably over thinking this due to anxiety so will write to them but also try to get through on the phone.

Thank you.

Also email the University of Sunderland - they may well be able to make contact with the appropriate person at Student Finance as the email addresses will exist but just not be published to general student enquiries to avoid being overwhelmed. Your course will have an admissions contact who will be responsible for helping get you over any hurdles that you need to cross before you can start your course.

Can you log on to your account and see if you have perhaps put the course details in incorrectly? Otherwise, have you checked with the university that they have provided the course information to SLC? Really busy time so no surprise lines are busy but hopefully you'll get it sorted.

Just write to them - but also continue to try on the phone.

Ok don't panic. Check you have put in the exact course title that Sunderland have given you the offer for. If it is exactly the same then email (don't phone!) Sunderland and let them know that SFE don't have that programme in their course directory. It could well be a new programme that they haven't sent to SLC yet. Finally if Sunderland say it's been running for years and no one else has had that problem get back onto SLC with that information.

Basically every year universities have to send a list of courses to the SLC. Often it's a manual process and things get missed, or courses change title and SLC doesn't get the update, or courses are newly validated and no one has got round to amending the list. Or SLC have the list but haven't processed it. Or a million other reasons. But don't panic! All it means is that Sunderland will have to wait a bit longer for their fee from you.

You should tweet them

Contact your uni tomorrow morning, they'll sort it. It may be that there's a specific code you need, or alternatively the uni may need to tick a box for that course on the loans portal to make it selectable from your end.

Also, don't panic. Unis know student finance is most likely not sorted by week 1. It's a pain that it may delay maintenance payments, but it won't prevent you starting the course or attending.

Thanks guys. It's postgraduate finance, if that makes a difference.

I've emailed the uni finance department and will keep trying to ring student finance.