DS2's loan hasn't landed today - anybody else?

[TheOneWithTheNicestSmile]

He's just starting 3rd year & this is the date on his finance form

but

a) it does say "you will receive your first payment within 3 to 4 working days of your attendance being confirmed to us by your university or college" (I don't know if this is the first day he's been in, it may well be)

&

b) he can't remember signing & returning the declaration; but I know one year DS1 failed to send it back & they went on sending reminders until he did, & that hasn't happened this year

I owe him a bit of money which I'm about to transfer so I'll send it & then ring him to check if he went in last week, but in the meantime any helpful advice gratefully received (I really cannot be doing with ringing Student Loans if I can avoid it )

Urgh student finance!
I have just started a degree course for the first time this year and lots of people are having problems with it.
It is true what you stated in part A, but how long it takes them to get round to doing it is another matter!
My first day was on Thursday 19th, was told it would be confirmed that day and will probably be paid on the Monday 23rd.
I have just been paid today! So 11 days after i first started. Grrrr

My point being that the timing given is a bit pants in my opinion!

With you saying that he can't remember signing the registration, that may be delaying the process. You can check your status and what point you are at in the process online with his details. That will probably be your best bet. If they are waiting for the declaration, it will state that on his homepage.

Hope this helps and it wasn't just rambling!

Thanks, monster - 11 days is terrible! How did you manage? I suppose they do have to do a huge number of transactions in a very short space of time but that is very slow

It turns out he did only register his presence today so will probably not get his loan until the end of the week. I didn't know I could check online about the declaration so I will do that, thanks

Good luck with your degree, hope you have an excellent time at uni

Get him to ring them. Or ring them yourself. It seems like they've been making a lot of cock ups this year.

I'm a third year too (luckily with savings) and student finance have made a simple transcription error with my bank details, which I had to correct in writing. This means I have to wait until next Tuesday for my payment :(.

Another friend (also in third year) has had issues with them too, as did another friend's partner (who is in second year). This is out of five people talking over lunch, so it seems a pretty high percentage (Although obviously not a representative sample!).

Hopefully you get it sorted with the minimum of hassle.

thanks, slowloris - I wondered if there might be others in the same boat. Glad you had savings to tide you over, hope your friends will be ok too. (he has Bank of M&D in emergencies)

anyway they have had his declaration so that's OK, & he did only register today, so we'll give it until the end of the week.

I will have him ring them if the money doesn't turn up - they always used to have just an 0845 number, but I see they now have a landline, so he can deal with it

Not having received a declaration, DD contacted them so a declaration arrived and was duly sent back by DD, recorded delivery. Last week another declaration arrived! The recorded delivery one had vanished. Sent back latest declaration last week so, undoubtedly, no money! Not sure if this means her fees are not paid. We have just paid the rent!

They are truly spectacularly inept, BlackMogul

Don't worry about the fees though, those are paid later; looking at DS2's payment timetable, his loan was due today (ish) but fees for this term not paid until 16th Oct (a Wednesday, strangely)

Good luck!

We have 2 daughters at uni and I have had to put in a complaint against student finances for each of them this year! Total mess!!

DD2's is now sorted.

DD1 is still waiting for her money, although it was supposed to go in on the 16th September and she registered on that date. I have had to pay rent for October, too. Not a good start for her as she was so very nervous about going anyway!

Theone - any chance of passing on that landline number? I have been nagging phoning from my landline because it costs so much for DD1 to phone from her mobile to an 0845 number.

Hi, Positive Attitude - it's 0141 306 2000

I tried it earlier & it seemed to work - though I absent-mindedly did it from the landline so that'll be c 14p just for connecting

Still better though than 40p a min or whatever from a mobile!

Thank you!!

Although, I have just had a phone call from DD1 saying that her finance has gone in!!! Woooohooooo Finally!! Now I can breathe a little easier at least for a few months until she runs out and my bank balance is mighty grateful!! She is on a major job hunt today, too, with strict instructions to not be fussy!!

Don't necessarily believe the status of your loan on their website - we blithely assumed my DS's was being processed as it said they had all the info they needed - and in fact they didn't, and it just sat there. They didn't start the processing until we phoned up, so no, no money here either. They said it could take 6 weeks more...

eeek, exgov

if it hasn't turned up by Friday we'll start ringing (luckily we can afford to sub him until it does land)

If having problems with the SLC it is worth getting student support from their universities involved.

Not only do universities have access to phone numbers that are not in the public domain, they also carry more clout! If the students are in Halls, they can arrange deferred rent payments and also crisis loans where necessary.

Another one here, we have just had to trans £1000 to DSD who rang in tears yesterday as her money hasn't come through.

Yes, certainly tell the university if the money hasn't come through, or the student will become liable for late payment charges. It's all very well for those with parents who can help out - terrible for those without.