Need help for a friend.

[alfiemama]

My friend has just sent me this. Is there anything that she can do? Thanks for any help and advice.

Sorry new panic. #4, the one at Uni had a hard time this year, injured knee playing rugby, needs an op. Short version missed a lot of uni, but still had good grades, asked for a leave of absence -- granted. Now, as he only did half a year they want £547 of his bursary back!

Your friends son needs to check out the conditions of the bursary though I suspect his uni are within their rights...

I'm a mature student and have an academic scholarship and I know if I fail to complete a year they can ask for part of it to be returned.

He needs to negotiate a payment plan otherwise his next year may be jeopardised.

Hello Alfie - bursarys are free money from the university funds to help with hardship suffered by students of low income families whilst living away from home. I am sorry to hear about your friends injury but if he has spent a portion of the university year at the family home with his leg up being looked after by his mother then he needs to pay back some of his free money. Sorry we are in the low income bracket, my son gets a full bursary and I accept this would happen to us if my son had an accident and had to recover at home.

Thanks Itwill and Percy. Would they be able to pay back in installments do you think?

Unfortunately though Percy, these things creep us on when we least need them to.

alfiemama - best thing to do will be to speak to the university - they're normally very reasonable people who will want to work out what can be done to get the money returned to them without causing him to starve. If they can see from his bank statements that he doesn't have that much money lying around (or enough overdraft left), then it's likely that he will be able to pay it off in installments. Wonga.com they are not!

Thanks boomting. I will let her know. Thanks for your help.