Cambridge college: financial guarantee needed - but no student loan application?

[TheSummerITurnedChubby]

DD has had only sparse communication from her college (but has a very conditional offer so it’s by no means in the bag anyway!)

She has been told even if she gets the correct grades, her offer won’t be confirmed until they have a guarantee of finances, which is the “award letter” from SFE to say she’ll be getting the loan for fees. She wasn’t planning to apply for the loan this year, and maybe not at all - how then do they prove that they (we) have the funds to pay? She has some money from working, and we’ll top up as needed this year, then see how we go

I can see some of the colleges have a form where this scenario is covered, but hers just asks for the award letter - probably an attempt to make it easier but not in her case. Should she just contact the admissions team to tell the: this; will they need some “evidence” or something?

We didn't have to supply anything for Oxford but had to pay the fees in advance of starting.

I would get in touch with college admissions though, this online suggests there is a form to fill in with evidence of funds, presumably things like proof of earnings and bank statements and it says in this case by end June and says about the offer. Might be worth checking what they have sent her already first again as presumably they have sent it already.

www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/Guidance%20on%20the%20Financial%20Guarantee%20Form%202023.pdf

Thank you - yes I saw this and a couple of other colleges have them, but hers makes no reference to a form at all

That’s interesting you didn’t have to fill in anything; I assumed that would be the case here and also that we would pay all the tuition up front. I don’t think she’s missed a deadline because the letter she has just had doesn’t make any reference to that; just tells them to send the SFE confirmation as soon as she has it (she won’t have it at all!)

I’ll advise her to speak to admissions on Monday - and be prepared to provide evidence of parental warnings etc as well

You just need to sign an undertaking from the college that you have the money to finance her studies for the duration of the course. She can opt to take out a loan at any point during her course if your financial situation changes and the fact that she is Home student is sufficient evidence to support this. I’d be very surprised if the college does insist on a SFE financial notification but if one is required to confirm eligibility you can apply for a £0 tuition fees loan and £0 maintenance loan easily enough. Unless you have a complicated back study or if your status as a Home student is questionable.

Is her offer to hopefully start this October? My DC also has an offer - they had to send a form that said the fees and living costs would be paid by a combination of government loans (which they’d already applied for) and some support from us (we had to sign a declaration).

Without meaning to stress you out, in DCs case the deadline for all this was mid-June. All colleges operate differently I think, and my understanding is that they will chase you if you miss a deadline, so hopefully it can all be resolved quickly when she talks to admissions.

We had a similar form but the deadline was August 1st.

Thank you for the replies

It is for this coming October; she has been back through her emails and she hasn’t missed a form or a deadline - overall deadline is 31st August but obviously she wants it all in place by results day just on the off chance she hits the grades…

No answer from the admissions phone number but she’s emailed them to explain and ask what documentation is needed; I’ve warned her father that something eg a signature might be needed from him as well as me, so fingers crossed!

DD’s Cambridge college we just had to sign something saying we’d agree to pay the fees and college bill. She had ticked the box on applying that she was self financing and not via SL, don’t know if that makes any difference. The bursars are very approachable (from my limited experience of DD’s college and a few of her friends at other colleges), so just find their email and get in touch.

Thank you @PettsWoodParadise she tells me she did say on her UCAS (I think it was) that she would be applying for a loan so maybe that is why - although the letter she had was a bit more generic, mentioning requirements for non-home students as well.

She’s left a message for the admissions team but not heard back, so I’ll encourage her to try some other numbers!

@TheSummerITurnedChubby try specifically to look for the bursar rather than admissions. Both have separate functions with a few small overlaps.

Stick with Admissions. They are responsible for the applicant until they are admitted.

You shouldn't get any replies from anyone in a university at the moment, we are in the first results embargo period. Embargos are:

• 28 July 18:00 – 5 August 09:00
• 8 August 08:00 – 14 August 08:00

Thanks @bizzare that’s odd as her letter notes the second set of embargo dates (just before results) but not the first? They are definitely not responding to emails or answering the phone so she is a bit stuck!