Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 4, UCAS & offers (and thinking about exams)

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread.

Ragwort I think it is choice which is the issue and complicates matters no end.

New I agree again. too much choice. It's like going to Costa for a cup of coffee. Barring 'accessibility' designs, i think they should all be the same and just allocated automatically.

Totally agree, Shimy.

Heads up to anyone insuring UEA, you can apply for accommodation as soon as applications open. Did try to find out the March date but the person I contacted wasn't having any of that. Apparently our young people will be notified (which isn't so great for those of us whose DC do not communicate much info!).

I hadn’t even thought about applying for accommodation at DS’s ‘insurance’ offer, should we do that ?

Well I hadn't really thought about it (just another 'to do') until reading this thread. AND given that DS underperformed in his GCSEs, I'm not taking any chances with assuming that he'll sail into Durham (although of course I'm hoping that he will).

I'm beginning to wonder now if i'm the one who's wrong about the insurance accommodation . If i am i'll be delighted.

Re Insurance accommodation - I guess it depends on whether you have to pay a deposit and whether or not it is refundable. I had to pay £200 deposit to NTU which is only refundable if my DS doesn't get his grades. If I pay for his insurance accommodation then I may not get my deposit back. If I wait then I will get the worse accommodation. Its just all getting too much....

minesawine it is, isn't it? Too many choices/decisions for us too...And I certainly don't want to be wasting money on deposits. Do they think parents are made of money (clearly they do!).

Going back 2 years, DD was able to get guaranteed accommodation specified at her insurance choice (southampton), and I'm sure didn't have to pay a deposit. The other unis on her list allowed a preference to be made. (And her firm was, unusually, the same accommodation for all 1st years apart from accessibility mods)

... there is no general rule!

Apologies in advance if this has already been answered further up the thread.

My DC has just insured Edinburgh for law. Does he have to do anything about accommodation if its his insurance?

His firm is Oxford so the accommodation is already prearranged there.

Many thanks!

Sorry if there's nothing on the Edinburgh website but usually universities make this quite clear in their website?

Does Edinburgh allow accommodation applications for insurers? Might make or break decision for dd next month.

There is definitely something about accommodation if insurance in a document on the Edinburgh website - it's where they say it will almost certainly be in a shared room. Can't remember whether it said you apply now, or only if and when you actually need it, though.

I can't remember exactly when the student loan arrives in their bank account but I'm sure it's well after results day and the place is unambiguously settled.

www.accom.ed.ac.uk/media/9131/acco02-19589-ug-student-guide-2019-final.pdf

"Conditional Insurance students, those who have another university as their No 1 choice, should note that their accommodation guarantee is only for shared accommodation, often with bunk beds. These rooms will have sufficient additional storage and study space
suitable for both students. Only if overall
demand allows will other options be offered.
Conditional Insurance students however must still apply for accommodation in the normal way"

I think the student loan money only comes in once you've actually registered at your university. (Which can be a pain for some students as they might need to pay rent before then!)

My girls didn't have to pay any deposit at their universities. Ds's firm choice asks for £400 deposit once accommodation has been allocated - i.e.after results day.

"What happens with student finance if you suddenly decide to pull out on results day and take a year off? Will a student loan not actually be in the bank account at that point and do you just cancel your loan application?"

Coleoptera you just notify student finance. It is just a simple telephone conversation followed by an email to confirm. DD decided that she didn't like the course she was offered last year and was adamant that she didn't want to go through clearing/adjustment to find another course and end up in "shit accommodation". I did give it a couple of days though to allow students wanting to go through clearing to organise themselves.

With her A level results in the bag and having a clearer idea of what she wants to do, university application was much easier this time around. Also, we can use last year's CRN, passwords, log ins etc to access student finance.

Cancelling accommodation and the course was easy as well.

Actually, I just re-read the info and the 400 quid is a rent pre payment, not a deposit. I don't know if that means you could get it back though!

Thanks marchingfrogs I'm on the case!

Atia I’m pretty sure dd got her deposit back at the end of 1st year.

Juicy, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but they often start looking at 2nd year accommodation as early as November...

Bath doesn’t open till May. Ds’ insurance is Sheffield & they seem to guarantee accommodation for all first years, even if it’s your insurance. They also seem to have space in halls for other years. Wonder why, do they have lots of local students living at home?

Swansea uni says re: accommodation:

1ST YEAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
You are guaranteed accommodation for the next Academic Session if you:

Have chosen Swansea as your 1st choice or Insurance choice university &
Applied for accommodation by the 30th June &
Confirmed your acceptance to study by the 20th August
The guarantee is for a room in residences, WE DO NOT guarantee specific rooms, blocks or particular residence sites.

The problem with the student finance Wales website was that dd was merrily answering the questions no problem, then the following page had no question on at all but still had the yes/no boxes to tick.

We opted for yes on general principle to hope we could later work out what it was asking. When it gave a summary of all DDs answers, the missing question showed on the summary page 'Do you have any of the following conditions?'. So she had to backtrack and change her answer. When back at the page, the question still didn't show so it wasn't her error.

She does need to open a student bank account, but we will go to the next town (as her bank has shut in our town this year) to speak to them about it at Easter as when she tried to open one online it was asking her questions about how she'll be funding the account and other random qs she wasn't sure about at the time.

DS got his student finance application approved but I reckon it was sent before DH completed his information, as it hasn't taken household income into account (why only send one letter when you could send two or three?). It gives a breakdown of when the fees are due to be paid (first one is 16 October 2019) but no indication of when the student finance loan will go into his bank account?

Need to get DS a 'docs' file for all his university info otherwise some of it will get lost, I'm convinced.

Please help mumsnetters!
Dd has ABB offers for the two Russell group universities she applied to. She is desperate to go to Uni A. Uni A has not been in clearing but the admissions tutor did say they chat about every near miss and that you can chat to them on results day by telephone.
Uni B was in clearing the last year for a while (I looked).

Dd wants to firm Uni A and have Uni B as insurance. So far so good. UNTIL she was filling it out on Track and it states that if your firm don’t want you but your insurance do, you’re in a contract with your insurance. Is there any wiggle room to telephone up Uni A and talk your way into a place and cancel Uni B? Should she put Uni B down or not??
Uni B do have a first come first served accommodation policy too and their accommodation has already opened.