Preparing for Uni in 2015 continues...

[Chillywhippet]

New thread

Old one here with loads of info

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2408327-Preparing-for-Uni-in-2015

When is your DD's birthday? DS was 19 at the beginning of September so when he got his glasses in August he was still entitled to free care until 31st August.

He is due a dental appointment in November and will need some repeat prescriptions so I got him to complete the HC1 ready to post once he had his address. It is very complicated but I think most students are entitled to the free prescriptions once they have completed the form.

A week today, Hocus? I thought DS was late starting (he goes this week).

We do not have a black suit*. He is jibbing at the very idea. Also jibbing at the idea of ever wearing the fancy dress suggested for Freshers Week.

We do have a pop-up laundry basket though!

*DS2, on the other hand, has at least three DJs, so if there's a change of heart, a slightly scruffy DJ can be produced at a moment's notice.

Our pharmacy told us that students are assessed on their parents' income so may not be eligible.

I have brought the form home and failed to look at it . DS, being an inadequately reared lad, has also failed to look at it . Ah well, too late to start over with him now.

Not a shiny bike here either, second hand, no gears, but used a lot at home, so sound I think. However it has not made it to Cambridge today as DS arrived at station past the bike carrying cut off time....I'll just go tomorrow instead says he....Wish I could be so relaxed.....there just seems to be an endless list of things still to be done before Thursday.

Worry not - the bike here is also far from shiny - have been told on good authority that only a scruffy battered old bike will not get nicked in Cambridge

Just had a chat with DD, and she has asked me to share this experience with Mumsnet.

At the Freshers' Fair, she approached the engineering stand and the guy on the stand gave her a dirty look. She asked him whether this was a club and he said 'You do know it's engineering, don't you?', so she said yes, she is doing an engineering course, and he looked really taken aback. Apparently you had to be there, but it was totally sexist and her friend (who was there) agrees and is disgusted on her behalf.

Anyway, she was quite insistent that I share this, and she would like the wrath of Mumsnet on her side. I think she believes we have the power to visit a plague on the wretched boy.

I'm a bit to be honest. I can't believe there are still people surprised to see girls on engineering courses.

We'll do worse than visit a plague on the blighted youth.
We'll tell his mum on him.

Lancelottie

muffin sadly they are still in the minority - but there is no need for that attitude. DS is on an engineering course - he said there's about 60 students, of which 5 are girls. One of his friends is at another Uni doing a different tyoe of engineering and he said there was only 1 girl on his course.

savage I helped DS fill in his HC1 form before he went away. I was [shocked] at the 'crystal mark' on the back of the form - it was far from crystal clear to me. We put his home address on the form rather than his Uni one. Not sure where he stands with treatment as he is at Uni in NI where I think prescriptions are free anyway but he has a dentist appointment in the Christmas holidays when he is home - in England.

Lancelottie we definitely didn't put our income on DSs HC1 form - it asked for the income of anyone who "lived with him" - but we took that to mean people he is responsible for or a partner with - rather than people he lives with ie parents. It said it needed that income info to assess for any housing benefits - so we didn't consider it relevant. The only income we put down was his student loans and the parental contribution we are making. Sent the forms off 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything - although DS put his e-mail address down as the preferred method of communication so I wouldn't know if they've been in touch.

Really confused about the precsription charge business.
Is the HC1 form for over 19's only?
What's the form for under 19's please?
I seem to recall when this was discussed in previous thread, 18 to 19s couldn't claim if they had more than £6k savings - regardless of income?

muffin, my DD is doing engineering too....

circular DS is still only 18 but the dental receptionist told him his free treatment ended in August. I have just looked at the guidance notes that I tore off the HC1 form and it says you can't claim if you have £16,000 in savings or £23000 if you live in a care home.

Yes the crystal clear HC1 form has baffled me too so I've put it in a pile

There's a whole section specially for students to complete asking about uni address, loans, grants etc but it doesn't explain anywhere that a student should be counted as living 'alone' in a hall of residence rather than in the family home. I'm also stymied on the earnings bit. DS has a part-time seasonal job. He may work only one shift of 4 hours over Christmas but if he provides his last 4 pay slips (as requested) it will look like he's earning loads as he was working every day for a month after A levels to save up for a holiday. Even if he averaged his earnings over a year that will be totally wrong because last year he worked every weekend, this year clearly not. It's just too difficult.

Glad it wasn't just me bigbluebus
Nightmare form.
Why can't they just do one for students?
Dd was 19 in September.. I also get free prescriptions etc due to low income/ lone parent

Well, DS has been working for the past year (to fund some of uni), so at present he has over £6k savings and an apparent income of over £900 a month.

The form appears to have a section for 'people who live with you' but excluding 'people you live with'. Or maybe I was losing the will to live by then and misread it.

Hmm.

Exactly the wording that was definitely not crystal clear lancelottie.

DS had had a job for the 2 months prior to going away. It is a casual bar job - proper pay slips and HMRC forms filled in but zero hours. He earned nearly £300 in month one but probably only about £100 in month two as there were no big events on. We decided to work on the basis that he has given up the job - as he's hardly likely to be working there whilst he's in another country. He may well pick up a shift or two in the Christmas holidays but it's not guaranteed and I doubt it will earn him enough to cross any earnings threshold. Might be a whole different ball game if he works all next Summer though. They must be used to this sort of variable earnings from students - but the form definitely doesn't cover this situation. Anyone feeling brave enough or short of something to do to try and ring them and get the definitive answer

I haven't even seen a form yet and am confused .

I'm presuming they declare living away from home, and even if parental contribution gets counted, that gets offset against accommodation costs.

And also presume if student loan counted as income, if the whole whack is sitting in account at beginning of term, can't also be added into savings.

This article seemed quite helpful and implied above . Not sure how up to date it is though.

Good grief, I've just had a very intense conversation with DS about washing FGS

He doesn't want to pay £1.10 to dry some of his clothes apparently!

circular I thinK DS gave a breakdown of his individual student loan payments in and his rent payments out - so one would offset the other just leaving his parental contribution as living expenses. He also had to specify what meals he had to buy (so they pick up if you are catered or self-catering) and whether utility bills are included in rent. According to that article, 90% of students qualify for assistance.

That made me laugh, Horsemad!

How is he drying his clothes?

God knows Leeds2 he is a numpty sometimes!

I've told him to chuck it in the dryer and have done with it!

At least I know my daughter is getting her veg quota!! See photo (if it ever loads)

Re NHS and HC1 etc - I filled HC1 in for DD1 who has just finished uni and kept a "dummy" copy for future reference. DD2 has just started uni so will be submitting this when she turns 19 next April (the dentist says she doesn't have to pay till 19).

Re any jobs they have - they only have to declare them if they have worked in the 7 days before they filled in the form. bigbluebus I did phone them and ask this particular question! So any Xmas jobs etc don't have to be mentioned.

Student Loans should not be put under income - it is filled in separately at Part 8

3.1 & 3.3 - tick No

In the first year DD1 only got partial help as I, in "money from parents" said I was paying her accommodation (she couldn't get a grant) However in years 2 & 3 she got a grant, and on filling in the form again i stated that I was not contributing. she got full exemption from NHS costs.

If your DC have not filled in the form yet and have to pay dental or prescription costs, they can claim them back later but they have to ask for the relevant form at the time of paying - you can't ask for it later.

Bob Thanks, that's very helpful re the job. So if they quit job in September and are only returning in the holidays, don't have to declare basically?

But if parents contributing by paying accommodation, this may affect claim. Even though their total loan + contribution is unlikely to exceed the maximum loan + grant possible.