How can you find out if you're an "independent student"

[PerfectRun]

For student finance?

DS has worked full time on a fairly decent salary for his age and paid keep at home for 3 years. He's now decided University is for him after all and needs to apply for student finance. The guidance says if you've "supported yourself" for 3 years you're an independent student, but it isn't clear what supporting yourself means.

It will make a big difference to what he's entitled to of it's based on household income or his own income. He hasn't cost me anything as such for 3 years and he has contributed financially to runnign the house, but obviously that's not quite the same as being completely independent.

He's 19yo, so doesn't qualify on age.

So who made that decision? How did you find out that she didn't qualify?

DD1 did not even live with us (moved in with Bf and his mum and paid rent there) and had a part time job, still not counted as an independent student and her student finance was based off our earnings despite her not even having a bedroom with us (due to her moving out and her sister moving into it) or having any help financially from us for quite some time.

She finally was assessed as an independent student after having a baby but I think then they assessed her partners income.

This from UCAS helps explain

www.ucas.com/finance/additional-funding/financial-support-students-not-supported-their-parents-estranged

Even though he has been working, he is still
living in the family home and is dependant on his parents. Unlikely he has been paying full market rate for his room, fully contributing to bills, buying and preparing his own food etc. In short, he is not fully independent, you are subsidising him.

4.7 on here suggests if DS has been in paid, full time employment for 3 years he can be assessed as an independent student.

But it doesn't say any of that. It says "You can show you have been financially independent for three or more years through employment or benefits (consecutively or non-consecutively) before your course begins." which the .gov site seems to define as being in full time work, at a "reasonable" income for 3 years.

Yes, that would make sense that her partner's income was considered as the "household income" and if she was only working part time, she wouldn't fulfil the criteria as set out.

But what I really need to know is how to get official confirmation one way the other. I don't want him to apply fraudulently as an independent student, or to miss out if he is entitled to more as independent. I just want to follow the rules.

Yes, that's the text I copied earlier, but it's that world "reasonable".

It’s for the person receiving the application to decide, all you can do is make the application for what you want, state the truth on the application and see what they say. If you think he qualifies as an independent student on a technicality then apply for that and see what happens, you don’t need permission from Mumsnet.

No chance at 19, none.

DS would need to demonstrate he has appropriately contributed to the household budget to the extent he has been wholly independent. This is SLC’s guidance. It specifically mentions students living at home.

I agree that "feels" right but where in any of the guidance does it say that?

I linked to the assessing financial entitlement guidance, where it states:

“The student has been self-supporting for periods prior to the start of first AY of the course amounting in aggregate to at least three years (paragraph 2(1)(k)). Periods of self-support may include, for example, paid holidays, breaks between jobs when the person supported themselves from savings, and paid periods of experience on a sandwich course (other than the current course).The student must be able to prove that they have earned enough to support themselves during the period in question. A person in living in the parental home may not wholly have supported themselves, including paying their share of housing costs, especially where the person is in PT or temporary employment. A student living with their parents should only be regarded as self-supporting where they can clearly demonstrate that they have contributed appropriately to the household budget. Where SLC is satisfied that the student was self-supporting for a period when payments were received ‘in kind’, such periods may be counted as self-support.”

It only says they must have contributed "appropriately". It doesn't say they need to have covered all costs. It also says their contribution could be "in kind".

Actually I can easily show he has contributed his share to all costs. He pays £50 pw. My total household DDs come to £531pm (no mortgage). The only other cost would be food, but he mostly eats at work and pays for that himself.

I didn’t say they had to cover all costs? However, if they have wholly supported themselves they would have paid all their costs, wouldn’t they, because if anyone else (other than a partner) had paid for their costs they wouldn’t have supported themselves. And it also says A person in living in the parental home may not wholly have supported themselves, including paying their share of housing costs.

If he is only paying £50pw I think it will be very difficult to show he is wholly independent.

They're hardly self-supporting if their contribution doesn't include any housing costs - easily the most expensive aspect of living!

OK, I don't know why everyone's so angry about it, I'm just asking how we get a definitive answer. DS has tried calling student finance, but has been on hold nearly all day.

Evidence will be three years’ worth of P60s:

www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/1205/sfe_independent_student_fs_1718_d.pdf

The way to find out for sure if that will be accepted as applicable in his case is to apply for student finance, tick the “independent student” box and let them make a decision. Looks hopeful.

I know it's not what you asked but why are you so keen for him to be classified as independent - are you trying to avoid supporting him?

Yeah he needs to wait a few weeks - they're rather busy right now given it's clearing...

Absolutely nothing to do with it. Proof of three years’ benefits is also accepted.

The policy is clearly based on the idea that once you’ve been off your parents balance sheet for three years, your living costs shouldn’t suddenly fall back on them unexpectedly, which is fair enough. Otherwise poorer potential students and families would hit problems.

Ridiculous how many people on this thread are writing their own ideal rules and then stating them as fact.

Trying to get through to them in the phone in summer has always been a complete nightmare. Has he applied for this year?

Does this mean he hasn’t applied yet?! For this year?

If so, tell him to apply now. Today. It’s their job to either accept his claim for independent status or reject it , once they’ve seen his evidence. He won’t get in trouble for applying. The important thing is to get an application in quickly. This is very late already.

The system is so broken.

Basing a student's loan on their parent's income, with no idea if said parent(s) will or can help support their child is just completely astonishing.

His entry route has been unconventional. He only had his offer last week.