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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Problems hit student loans system | Problems hit student loans system |
| (11 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 | 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 |
| My son had deferred his University application so when he applied earlier this year he already had his A levels. He started his on-line loan application in late June and by the 12th July we had sent the SLC everything they had requested. He starts at his University tomorrow and we have heard nothing from the SLC. The response to the last call we made to them (last week) was that they hadn't yet dealt with all their June correspondence and that they would only be moving on to the July letters in the near future. Our experience does not tally with the optimistic press statements put out by the SLC. My son will have to be using his savings to live on until the loan comes through but we don't know how the University Fees can be paid if the University insist on them before the Loan is advanced. Glyn, Manchester | My son had deferred his University application so when he applied earlier this year he already had his A levels. He started his on-line loan application in late June and by the 12th July we had sent the SLC everything they had requested. He starts at his University tomorrow and we have heard nothing from the SLC. The response to the last call we made to them (last week) was that they hadn't yet dealt with all their June correspondence and that they would only be moving on to the July letters in the near future. Our experience does not tally with the optimistic press statements put out by the SLC. My son will have to be using his savings to live on until the loan comes through but we don't know how the University Fees can be paid if the University insist on them before the Loan is advanced. Glyn, Manchester |
| My daughter has still not heard anything regards her aplication for student loan and maintenance payment . We applied months ago and her account keeps telling her "awaiting further information". We have contacted them on numerous occasions and each time they asked for further information,. One time two different people we talked to gave us different information on what documentation they required. We have supplied them with all the information they have asked for and they have sent the documentaion back to us . However at no time have they said this was wrong or what further information we needed. It is only when my daughter rings and waits for over half an hour to get an answer that she is told once again they need some other documentation. The service and infromation is horrendous. They have been rude and dismissive to my daughter who is going to university in three weeks and still does not know if she can go because she will not have the funds. She is extremely stressed about! | My daughter has still not heard anything regards her aplication for student loan and maintenance payment . We applied months ago and her account keeps telling her "awaiting further information". We have contacted them on numerous occasions and each time they asked for further information,. One time two different people we talked to gave us different information on what documentation they required. We have supplied them with all the information they have asked for and they have sent the documentaion back to us . However at no time have they said this was wrong or what further information we needed. It is only when my daughter rings and waits for over half an hour to get an answer that she is told once again they need some other documentation. The service and infromation is horrendous. They have been rude and dismissive to my daughter who is going to university in three weeks and still does not know if she can go because she will not have the funds. She is extremely stressed about! |
| this in a time when they are stressed enough about going to university. The web site keeps crashing. We have hit a brick wall on this and have not got any straight answer from them. My daughter is again calling today and I have no choice to get local MP's in on this. Christopher Talbot, Isleworth, | this in a time when they are stressed enough about going to university. The web site keeps crashing. We have hit a brick wall on this and have not got any straight answer from them. My daughter is again calling today and I have no choice to get local MP's in on this. Christopher Talbot, Isleworth, |
| I am in the same position. My accommodation was gone with deposit of £250.00 as the dead line was last night for the 1st term payment which I could not pay without the finance loan. Please help.Sivendra, Harrow | |
| I think the finance system works great.I applied on time and will be recieving my loans/grants on time. raj, Reading |