Q&A with Nichola Malton from the Student Loans Company -ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

It's National Student Finance Week (12-16 March) and if you, or someone from your family, is thinking of going to university this year then you should be applying for your student finance now. Nichola Malton from the Student Loans Company will be here this week to help you with through the process.

Nichola is the Assessment Manager for Student Finance England and her team is responsible for assessing and processing over 1 million applications each year from new and returning university students.

She will be answering any questions you might have about the changes to higher education funding this year, and what support could be available to help you with university, living and childcare costs.

Post your questions below before the end of Friday 16 March and we will link to the answers on Thursday 29 March.

Applications for student finance are open now and students should apply
online to www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

This Q&A has been sponsored by the Student Loans Company

My daughter is attending University in America in September. We are having to fund this ourselves.

Why can't she get a student loan in the UK to use over there?

Thanks for all your questions that have been sent over to Nichola Malton. We'll be linking to her answers from this page next week.

The archived Q&A is now ready and can be read here:

Q&A with Nichola Malton from the Student Loans Company

God this thread has totally put me off applying for loans for DS starting Uni in 2013.

Back to the beans on toast diet Chez Mumble, I think

I've just read the answers, and although Nichola Malton has promised to look into some problems personally, the whole thing nevertheless does come across as a cumbersome, stressful shambles.

There are the rules. They are what they are.

But then there is the delivery by the SLC of the resulting service - which would appear to be beset with problems.

Scary.

But a very useful thread - thanks MNHQ.

I've only just got round to reading the answers too. Totally puts me off letting my son anywhere near this system , whether SLC or government at all. We will be redoubling our efforts to convince him to wait a year and then go abroad to study. He will then probably love the country he ends up studying in and will decide to stay there. Husband and me will then follow so UK loses 3 high earning tax payers in one fell swoop. Anyone else going to follow us|

as an ex-student, each year i defer my loan repayment. i'm now self employed, but for a while i was a stay at home mum. during that period, when i deferred, i had to get dh to sign a letter, confirming i was indeed a sahm, my word was obviously not good enough. how humiliating is that! needing my husband to vouch for me. will have a look at the q&a to see if the deferment system is going to be looked at.

This thread has answered loads of answers for me until today, when my daughter got a letter to tell her she can not get student finance next year. She has studied for 3 and a half years in Scotland (the first year being to bring all the Scottish students to the same level as the English ones). Last year the university suggested she study for a Masters extending her studies by a further year. Unfortunately due to illness in December of last year she had to defer her studies but intends to transfer to a university nearer home starting in September. We are now told that she can only get finance for the remainder of this year and not for the 2 years she needs to finish her course. As I can't afford to support her, she feels there is no point in her returning this year, We are understandably devastated especially as she was on target to obtain a 1st. Could anyone explain this rule to me as there seems some confusion between the Scottish and English rules. Would she qualify if she went back to Scotland, although due to her health I would prefer that she didn't.