student finance england

[ladysybil]

how are you all geting on with it? has anyone actually had anything completed yet?

website says on one place that all evidence as been recieved, yet another that is awaiting evidence. anyone else in similar situation?

All sorted for DS2 some time ago, though we weren't applying for means tested loans, only for the basic non-means tested version.

we're not applying for the means tested bit either, as we would get exactly zero if that was the case. glad you got it sorted. can i ask when you completed the application and did youdo it all online?

We're on second year and it seems a bit more straightforward. Although I won't count my chickens until the cash turns up.

Last year we applied in good time (Feb), after some delay where they kept returning then asking again for my evidence all appeared to be fine. Yet when ds went to university and registered, his money didn't turn up until late November. Apparently because the letter they scanned was linking his application to some other person. PITA. And hard on the finances because we had to bank roll him until it got sorted.

ladysybil, we have exactly that situation- DS1 is down as assessed, and he has had letter, they necer asked for evidence, he will be in Y3 next year. DD1 finished her application weeks ago but has heard nothing, as you say, it says on her page 'we are awaiting evidence' but if you click on what items they are waiting for it says none. DD2 finished her application just a few days ago and heard almost straight away. I know they have the evidence because I have had a letter from them saying so. It must be the worst ws in the world. To make it even worse I am applying myself and so have sent in a current year assessment thing, so I suspect the assessments they have done maynot be right anyway.

I am so glad that DD got into the system while it was still being run by our LA, because once having started withnthem, we still go through them for her subsequent years.. Of course it's still too early to say for this year, but so far they have been very efficient about it. Last year (DD's second year) she didn't get her form in till almost the end of July and still got her confirmation by the beginning of September and the money dead on time,

oh gawd. so bankrolling for the first few months is probaly the way it will happen?

i phoned them up right now, and at least this guy seemed to know what he was talking about. even if all he was saying was that the system is beingupgraded, and to call back from tomorrow onwards.

so what did he say about the 'we are awaiting evidence' thing?

I think DH filled the form in online - DS was out of the country on gap year trip - in April, shortly before the deadline. We then received a receipt type letter at the end of April and a full confirmatory letter dated 24 May.

Our experience last year was that the evidence was being sent, copies taken for the paper file and the originals being returned with a comp slip. But then apparently (they said )the computer wasn't updated so they asked again for the evidence. This happened twice until I called them and refused to come off the phone until they'd phyically checked the paperwork. Which was difficult because the paperwork is in one location and the call centre somewhere else.

Later when the money didn't turn up the problem had to be escalted to some other higher dept because SF kept sending ds back to get his letter scanned and uni kept saying, we're doing it right, it's something wrong at their end. Cue ds having to give them auth to speak to me and me having to rip off some poor call taker's head before it finally got straightened out. I have zero faith in them TBH.

Good luck

We have recently helped DD2 with applying for her student loan for her second year. That has been sorted. We did it online but then she got a letter for her to sign declaring she was the student and all information was correct, She didn't get confirmation about her loan until she sent this back, This happened last year as well.We didn't apply for the mean tested laon and as we live in Wales had to go through the Wales finance website, But I think it all ends up going to the same place in the end. So for those it says waiting for evidence make sure that your DC's have had and signed the declaration letter otherwise the laon won't be confirmed.

they told me they couldnt get into the system

iknew there were going to be all these problems. just knew it.

Ladysybil - keep a record of everything, send any documents special delivery if you can afford it, keep track of the application and if you don't understand what the online info says, call them. Take the names of the people you speak to and the date and time of your conversation. Try to get it finalised before August because things will, IMHO, get frantic then. That may mean you being very vigilant.
And yes you do have to sign the declaration before you get paid. Also, the money doesn't go in accounts until the student is enrolled at university and the university have confirmed that with SFE, so at least a week's money is needed even if everything is sorted in time.