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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Problems hit student loans system | Problems hit student loans system |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Ministers are keeping a close eye on the student finance system as it struggles to deal with a record number of applications for grants and loans. | Ministers are keeping a close eye on the student finance system as it struggles to deal with a record number of applications for grants and loans. |
| Higher Education Minister David Lammy contacted the Student Loans Company after numerous complaints about delays. | Higher Education Minister David Lammy contacted the Student Loans Company after numerous complaints about delays. |
| The firm, which this year took over the processing of maintenance grants and tuition fee loans from local councils, said applications were up 17% on 2008. | The firm, which this year took over the processing of maintenance grants and tuition fee loans from local councils, said applications were up 17% on 2008. |
| It pledged that everyone who had applied on time would be paid on time. | It pledged that everyone who had applied on time would be paid on time. |
| I know if I don't get my funding within the next few weeks I won't be able to enter my course James Greenhalgh | I know if I don't get my funding within the next few weeks I won't be able to enter my course James Greenhalgh |
| This is the first year that student's tuition fee loans, maintenance grants and maintenance loans have been processed by one organisation - Student Finance England - run by the Student Loans Company (SLC). | This is the first year that student's tuition fee loans, maintenance grants and maintenance loans have been processed by one organisation - Student Finance England - run by the Student Loans Company (SLC). |
| They used to be dealt with by the prospective student's local authority. | They used to be dealt with by the prospective student's local authority. |
| James Greenhalgh, who hopes to start university this autumn, contacted the BBC News Website with his concerns along with a number of other correspondents. | James Greenhalgh, who hopes to start university this autumn, contacted the BBC News Website with his concerns along with a number of other correspondents. |
| "I know if I don't get my funding within the next few weeks I won't be able to enter my course. | "I know if I don't get my funding within the next few weeks I won't be able to enter my course. |
| "My parents can't support me at university and I haven't got any money." | "My parents can't support me at university and I haven't got any money." |
| The 19-year-old, who is hoping to go to Leeds University to study politics and parliamentary studies, is waiting for about £5,000 in grants and loans for living costs. | The 19-year-old, who is hoping to go to Leeds University to study politics and parliamentary studies, is waiting for about £5,000 in grants and loans for living costs. |
| 'Daily contact' | 'Daily contact' |
| He said: "I put my application in for grants and loans about 10 weeks ago. About six weeks ago I received a letter saying there were delays to the processing and I should complete an emergency loan application. | He said: "I put my application in for grants and loans about 10 weeks ago. About six weeks ago I received a letter saying there were delays to the processing and I should complete an emergency loan application. |
| "I contacted the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and they acknowledged there was a problem and said ministers were getting involved. | "I contacted the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and they acknowledged there was a problem and said ministers were getting involved. |
| "All this uncertainty is very distressing for students who are going to university for the first time." | "All this uncertainty is very distressing for students who are going to university for the first time." |
| Pam Lowe emailed to say she had called the helpline number over 100 times in the past three days in an attempt to find out what was going on with her son's finance application. He hopes to join a course at Leicester University in a few weeks' time. | Pam Lowe emailed to say she had called the helpline number over 100 times in the past three days in an attempt to find out what was going on with her son's finance application. He hopes to join a course at Leicester University in a few weeks' time. |
| She said it was very difficult to get through and sometimes the phones just cut out. She also claimed the website kept crashing. | She said it was very difficult to get through and sometimes the phones just cut out. She also claimed the website kept crashing. |
| "They basically told us they had thousands of unprocessed documents and could not tell us whether they had received my son's application documents despite the fact that they were sent months ago," she said. | "They basically told us they had thousands of unprocessed documents and could not tell us whether they had received my son's application documents despite the fact that they were sent months ago," she said. |
| Record applications | Record applications |
| "We know lots of people in the same situation - you just cannot get through to them. | "We know lots of people in the same situation - you just cannot get through to them. |
| "Some students are having to find £1,500 to pay for their first term's rent." | "Some students are having to find £1,500 to pay for their first term's rent." |
| A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said there had been a number of complaints about the phone line and with people waiting a very long time. | A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said there had been a number of complaints about the phone line and with people waiting a very long time. |
| Mr Lammy was keeping in daily contact with the SLC about the issue and they were keeping him up to date with what was going on, she added. | Mr Lammy was keeping in daily contact with the SLC about the issue and they were keeping him up to date with what was going on, she added. |
| Ministers will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's problems with the processing of the education maintenance allowances designed to keep pupils in school and college. | Ministers will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's problems with the processing of the education maintenance allowances designed to keep pupils in school and college. |
| An SLC spokesman said: "We are sorry that some customers are experiencing difficulties with their student finance applications. | An SLC spokesman said: "We are sorry that some customers are experiencing difficulties with their student finance applications. |
| "This year we have received a record number of applications with an increase of 16.7% more applications than last year. | "This year we have received a record number of applications with an increase of 16.7% more applications than last year. |
| "Already we have approved over 830,000 applications, which is 40,000 more than this time last year. | "Already we have approved over 830,000 applications, which is 40,000 more than this time last year. |
| "We have increased our staff numbers by 120 in order to deal with the high numbers of calls and applications and are focussing our resources on making sure we keep processing applications as well as ensuring callers are dealt with as quickly as possible." | "We have increased our staff numbers by 120 in order to deal with the high numbers of calls and applications and are focussing our resources on making sure we keep processing applications as well as ensuring callers are dealt with as quickly as possible." |
| Have you had problems with your student loan or grant application? Send us your experiences. | Have you had problems with your student loan or grant application? Send us your experiences. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |
| I got sent the wrong form in the first place now the application which is being "processed" is late and its no fault of my own and I don't know if I'm going to get it because I have had no confirmation to say I'm going to so if I don't get any money I'm going to have to drop out of my BA coarse which I wont be to pleased about. | I got sent the wrong form in the first place now the application which is being "processed" is late and its no fault of my own and I don't know if I'm going to get it because I have had no confirmation to say I'm going to so if I don't get any money I'm going to have to drop out of my BA coarse which I wont be to pleased about. |
| This is such a shambles! what happened, trying to save money?! screw that we have all been let down! what was wrong with the old system?! something needs to be done soon and fast other wise millions of us young people hoping for a better future just wont get anywhere and I can also so see why some people don't bother in going for higher education it's just seems to be one big stress which isn't needed.Amie, East Yorkshire | This is such a shambles! what happened, trying to save money?! screw that we have all been let down! what was wrong with the old system?! something needs to be done soon and fast other wise millions of us young people hoping for a better future just wont get anywhere and I can also so see why some people don't bother in going for higher education it's just seems to be one big stress which isn't needed.Amie, East Yorkshire |
| Student Finance UK! I unable to contact this government ran department by phone to query whether my son has a grant when he starts uni in two weeks which we applied for back in May/June. The andwerphone message tells the caller to log in to the website and view their personal account, which is all well and good but if you have a query, there is no facility to leave a message on these accounts for the department. Apparently, I have heard parents throughout the country are experiencing similiar problems which is very stressful! | Student Finance UK! I unable to contact this government ran department by phone to query whether my son has a grant when he starts uni in two weeks which we applied for back in May/June. The andwerphone message tells the caller to log in to the website and view their personal account, which is all well and good but if you have a query, there is no facility to leave a message on these accounts for the department. Apparently, I have heard parents throughout the country are experiencing similiar problems which is very stressful! |
| Teresa Deeming, UK | Teresa Deeming, UK |
| It took 4 attempts just to get a non means-tested Tuition Fee grant for my daughter. Once you've put your details in online, every other interaction with them has to be by form! The people on the phone don't even know why forms are getting rejected by the system, very poor for the 21st Century.Karen, Basingstoke |