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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Charged £2250 when DD didn't attend one day.

31 replies

acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 16:09

We were stupidly under the impression from a family member that there was no financial implications when DD decided to withdraw from her place and resit an A Level to get a better course for next year.

The course she was offered was a variant of the course she wanted, the uni actually rang her and when she said she was unsure they said to try it. No mention of full term charge to bloody try it. As it happened she decided to try for better grades and didn't go to the university place at all.

The finance at the uni have also told her to just keep her maintenance loan, I'm just really confused.

Family members daughter, has done a week for the past two years before deciding it wasn't for her with no payback at all.

Is it a case of difference universities have different policies? It does seem so unfair.

OP posts:
FrancisCrawford · 04/10/2016 16:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 16:17

So you don't know if different universities have different policies?

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NickyEds · 04/10/2016 16:32

I think most unis have the same policy, so term 1 is 25% of fees, term 2 is 50% and term 3 is 100% depending on when you drop out. I think some places might have different rules regarding accommodation though.

NickyEds · 04/10/2016 16:33

If she didn't enrol at all how come she has the maintenance loan? What was the time line?

yoink · 04/10/2016 16:40

It doesn't really matter what other universities do does it?

You were foolish to rely on the word of a relative instead of checking with the university.

melibu84 · 04/10/2016 16:42

In order to get the loan, she would have had to enrol for the course. At least, that's the way it was 6 years ago when I was at uni!

Costacoffeeplease · 04/10/2016 16:46

Why didn't you ask the university concerned?

titchy · 04/10/2016 16:50

Loan rules, which apply to all universities, state that there is no liability to pay fees if the student withdraws formally within two weeks of the start date.

Did she? And have they acknowledged her leaving date?

NerrSnerr · 04/10/2016 16:51

So she got her maintenance loan? When did she tell the university that she was dropping out?

FlyHighLittleBee · 04/10/2016 17:05

She will have to pay her loan back. I got a call a year after I dropped out, asking for the terms worth in which I had left. I was a single parent, so they let me pay a tenner a month.

NickyEds · 04/10/2016 17:51

Did she actually register? If she did it is as titchy says and she should have sent a formal withdrawl within 14 days to avoid liability. If she registered and didn't withdraw she will have to pay for a term.

kittykittykitty5 · 04/10/2016 17:54

Has she already spent the maintenance grant? If not, it should not be a drama to just pay it all back.

The tuition fees, it does not suprise me to be honest. My niece left after a week as she had an Ovarian cyst burst. She had to payback the entire term of fees. She wasn't even allowed to defer her place for the following year on medical grounds, bit of a disgrace really.

user1474361571 · 04/10/2016 18:13

She wasn't even allowed to defer her place for the following year on medical grounds, bit of a disgrace really.

In several decades of working at universities, I have never, ever heard of a student with serious medical issues being refused the right to defer a year.

I always wonder when reading threads like these whether families are being told the whole story.

I agree with Titchy that formal withdrawal within 14 days avoids fee liability. If she didn't get the paperwork in on time, this should be taken as a lesson to read important terms and conditions before signing up to anything.

Coconutty · 04/10/2016 18:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Camembertie · 04/10/2016 18:17

^WTS and in my uni we actually allow withdrawal with no fees til the end of October.

Fact they have told her to keep the grant is concerning me slightly that they may be fudging their attendance stats and returning her as enrolled rather than withdrawn. I would ask the uni for written proof of the withdrawal including the effective date.

Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 18:33

Sorry for radio silence.

She accepted her place. The loans came through. University started on Monday 19th September which was the date she emailed to withdraw. They say the cut of was 18th.

tinchy Where can I find any documentation for the 14 day rule please.

OP posts:
Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 18:51

Thanks camem I'll get her to request that tomorrow.

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Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 18:57

And she hasn't touched her maintenance grant.

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ImperialBlether · 04/10/2016 19:00

I thought that it all kicked in once they'd registered and that if they didn't register they didn't receive any money and nothing was paid out in their name.

kath6144 · 04/10/2016 19:14

Imperial - yes that was my understanding too, my DS said his maintenance loan wouldnt come through until he formally finished registration when he arrived (he could do some of registration at home).

Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 19:45

Thanks tinchy but I can't get the link to work.

OP posts:
titchy · 04/10/2016 20:00

Actually that link only states two weeks for part time. Google 'UG fee liability xx university' - there should be something there in their own terms and conditions.

Original poster
acornsandnuts · 04/10/2016 20:05

Thanks, I will sit down with her tomorrow as she went straight to work from the finance meeting, I'm just trying to get information for her to have a look at tomorrow. I'll suggest she writes a time line and request the same from university tomorrow and start from there.

As people have said it maybe is a lesson learnt, a very expensive one.

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