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Does anyone know of any ( non dance) student funding?


Lisa O`Brien

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I'm talking about funding other than the Student Loans Company. I know there is an Irish company called Future Finance, but i've heard they can be extremely risky to go with. My credit rating is appalling, and i've been turned down for a loan, not just with my bank, but with my Credit Union as well. But since then, my situation has changed, and I now  literally have the money each month to be able to pay back a loan of up to about eight thousand pounds, within two and a half years plus the interest, but because of my credit history, no-one will touch me with a barge pole. Does anyone know of any reputable company out there who accept people with such poor credit history for such a relatively large sum of money ? Thanks. EDIT. Have explored the prospect of a university scholarship but he won't be eligible to apply until the following academic year.

Edited by Lisa O`Brien
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Have you spoken to the finance office at the university to see if there are any individual bursaries or other means of support for Sean’s course? 
Did he get anything beyond his maintenance loan? Was he entitled to a maintenance grant on top? 

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3 hours ago, Jane said:

Have you spoken to the finance office at the university to see if there are any individual bursaries or other means of support for Sean’s course? 
Did he get anything beyond his maintenance loan? Was he entitled to a maintenance grant on top? 

Hello. Yes, he can apply for a bursary next year. The criteria is that the student has to be at least 23 years old by 1st January 2020. He wasn't 23 until 2 February. So he will be eligible to apply for help next year. He is entitled to a loan to pay for his university accommodation in Belfast. We will be able to pay the tuition fee in instalments after giving them a £2,000 deposit in September ( Have just finally got the 2K deposit together last week). But he isn't entitled to a penny in living costs. My sister has said she will help out and he'll have to get a PT job in Belfast to make ends meet. The absolute most I would be able to afford to give him would be about £30 a week to live on. 

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2 hours ago, AnneMarriott said:

Doesn't Sean count as an adult, in which case if he applies for student loans for himself your credit rating would be irrelevant.  Google anything along the lines of "mature student university funding" and lots of helpful-looking sites come up.

The Student Loans ask for parental income, regardless of the age of the student. It's just a funny quirk of the system. The only way his own financial situation would be taken into account instead of mine would be if he were to declare himself independent. Which of course he's not, as he's living at home with me, and my Housing Benefit would be drastically changed were that to change. Besides, his own credit rating is not much better than mine !

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My sister has said she will help with a few thousand pounds, which is wonderful of her. But right at this minute she can't absolutely commit to this promise. Her husband has just had his 59th birthday. He has been living in a care home for the last 5 months. He is deteriorating rapidly with severe Dementia. My sister wants to hire a solicitor to try and get him to be allowed to come home. She also wants to possibly take Colin to see a private Neurologist for a second opinion and /or to see if he has inhaled any Stachybotrys mould and it is this which is affecting his cognition. 

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For the next academic year, Sean will be entitled to everything. Full tuition fee loan, maintenance loan, money to live on etc. But because he has already used up two years of his four year Higher Education funding on a silly HND ( massive mistake), he only has 2 years of HE funding left. This 3 year Liberal Arts with History course is going to be funded; but only for years 2 and 3. He was living at home while studying the HND ( thank God), so he still has the money they will give him to pay for university accommodation untouched. The maintenance loan, to pay for accommodation here in Northern Ireland is £3,630 a year, and just about will pay for him to live in the cheapest uni accommodation ( Belonging to Queen's University Belfast) of £85 PW. I think students in England are given thousands more each year to pay for their accommodation than ones here are.

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15 hours ago, Lisa O`Brien said:

For the next academic year, Sean will be entitled to everything. Full tuition fee loan, maintenance loan, money to live on etc. But because he has already used up two years of his four year Higher Education funding on a silly HND ( massive mistake), he only has 2 years of HE funding left. This 3 year Liberal Arts with History course is going to be funded; but only for years 2 and 3. He was living at home while studying the HND ( thank God), so he still has the money they will give him to pay for university accommodation untouched. The maintenance loan, to pay for accommodation here in Northern Ireland is £3,630 a year, and just about will pay for him to live in the cheapest uni accommodation ( Belonging to Queen's University Belfast) of £85 PW. I think students in England are given thousands more each year to pay for their accommodation than ones here are.

 

They’re not GIVEN more, Lisa - they’re LOANED more.  Meaning that the students from the lowest income family have to borrow - and pay back - the most money. 

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18 hours ago, Lisa O`Brien said:

The maintenance loan, to pay for accommodation here in Northern Ireland is £3,630 a year, and just about will pay for him to live in the cheapest uni accommodation ( Belonging to Queen's University Belfast) of £85 PW.

But isn’t he entitled to the maintenance grant aspect too? The part he doesn’t need to pay back. If household income below ~£41000 in NI you should be offered this when other student finance offer completed. It’s sliding scale so lower income means more grant. Loan repayable, grant not. 

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5 hours ago, Anna C said:

 

They’re not GIVEN more, Lisa - they’re LOANED more.  Meaning that the students from the lowest income family have to borrow - and pay back - the most money. 

Yes, Anna, that's what I meant to say.

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17 hours ago, Jane said:

https://www.savethestudent.org/student-finance/maintenance-loans.html    
 

Towards the end of this page there is a section about bursaries and awards. 
 

 

Thank you Jane. Yes, he will be eligible to apply for a bursary from an organisation called  uversity. But the criteria is you have to be at least 23 on 1st January in the year you are applying. He wasn't 23 until 2 February this year. So he will be eligible to apply for it next year. Of course, the irony is, next year he will be entitled to everything . It's this year that he has to get through with no money to live on !! 

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