Comments:

1. I'm another student who isn't going to be getting their student loan on time. I'm supposed to be starting next week and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to buy food/ pay rent etc.
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   17 September 2009 14:16 by: Another student loan delayed

2. Not only couldn't I agree more, but I seem to be 1 of 50k, finding myself in limbo over whether I can afford my accomodation next term because of the loans system being little more than one of those seaside moving coin-tray arcade machines that's just been hit on the side. Unfortunately the alarms are going off and the attendant, Seymour-Jackson, has decided he's on a break for the forseeable future, or has lost the reset key. The analogy would normally be unfit, but as it seems my and the 50k's future finance for the year is now more of a gamble than a certainty, sadly it rings true. I look forward to the exponentially increasing pressure I will endure from my preternaturally organised university fees office, as they remind me daily i'm living on borrowed time, with pending eviction on my university accomodation looming large should the money i desperately need not come in.
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   17 September 2009 14:25 by: John Cox

3. I am also one of the unfourtunate 50,000. Student finance England are dispicable. I have had 2 send documents that they have processed and returned 3 TIMES!!!. this is a very unfortunate time and student finance england should have been prepapred for this. I guess this is what happens when you dont prepare for the worst. And when the worst comes, they are running around in panic in denial. Should I struggle with my finances, I guess I know whom to blame
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   17 September 2009 16:35 by: Rituja Puri

4. Well I finally got through to them only to be told that the reason I still have "We are awaiting documentary evidence from you" displayed is because they're waiting for the passport office to confirm my details. I'm sorry, but I submitted my application online at the end of April and it's taken this long to check? I recently had to re-enter said details, which makes me assume that they lost them. How can you lose something online? Luckily my Union have sent up a page so we can contact them to let us know we're having issues and my mum has said she'll pay my rent till my grant comes through but it isn't the point. Wasn't this system supposed to streamline everything and make it easier? Useless.
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   17 September 2009 19:24 by: Amy Sanders

5. I too am a member of the 50k club, although this is one of the only memberships I have which comes with no benefits! Having emailed and spoken to my local MP's office about this situation I was surprised to find that Mr Seymour-Jackson is ignoring all emails/letters and calls from MP's regarding this matter. I think he should be sacked, without his guarenteed 'golden handshake' or his indefinate oversized Pension - because in my eyes that would be 'reasonable'. I now start University in a weeks time with no funding in place whatsoever, but its ok because that swine said its reasonable!!
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   17 September 2009 20:37 by: Dan Totten

6. I too am a member of the 50k club, although this is one of the only memberships I have which comes with no benefits! Having emailed and spoken to my local MP's office about this situation I was surprised to find that Mr Seymour-Jackson is ignoring all emails/letters and calls from MP's regarding this matter. I think he should be sacked, without his guarenteed 'golden handshake' or his indefinate oversized Pension - because in my eyes that would be 'reasonable'. I now start University in a weeks time with no funding in place whatsoever, but its ok because that swine said its reasonable!!
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   17 September 2009 20:54 by: Dan Totten

7. Another one of the 50k I haven't been able to send in my form yet because I wasn't certain I was going to be able to return to uni. If it wasn't for my partner I wouldn't have a hope in hell. I still owe my uni £200 from last year because my loan was late and I had to take out an emergency loan which I then couldn't afford to pay back (mainly because I was supporting 2 people on it). To ignore communications from MP's is totally wrong and as my partner says cowardly. perhaps he should pay us out of his (I'm guessing) grossly over inflated salary. even if they could provide some sort of interim support to us, £50 a week to live on or something would be a start and isn't likley to take most if any of us over our loan entitlement and it can just be deducted when they do pay out the loans in full. Bloody hypocrite benefitted from a free education (I'm assuming he went to uni) and now thinks it's reasonable for us to be left high and dry!
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   17 September 2009 22:49 by: Charley Hasted

8. Hi Wes I worked on the "inside" and tried to get the press interested last year in this very issue, but no-one was prepared to run the story. I have written again to the Daily Mail letters page, hoping they might print the letter, and expose some of the woeful problems at the SLC to "Middle England"! I was trying to send a copy of the letter to the NUS but there doesn't seem to be an email address. Still I can be contacted here:- gavsky23@hotmail.com
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   18 September 2009 05:34 by: Anon at the SLC

9. As much of a shame as it is that SFE have these backlogs, i can't help feeling SAAS is being left overly unscathed, sure there isn't quite as big a problem but of the 4 people in my flat: I only have my non-income assessed loan due to wrong information from phone operators, this also applies to 1 room mate, the other has had no information whatsoever including tuition fees and the final one wasn't even aware you could get living cost support from SAAS. Not the best situtation given we're all here now and mine should be taking another fortnight at least if the operator was correct this time.
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   18 September 2009 16:26 by: Brian

10. Hi - I'm a parent of one of the 50k so I hope you don't mind me contributing! I am angry because I have read a comment from SFE saying that 'all those who applications were in on time have been processed'. This is obviously complete nonsense. My daughter's went in before the deadline and then a month later they wrote to us saying they were waiting for financial evidence before they could take it any further - but this wasn't asked for at the time of applying. The evidence went in at the beginning of August and ever since it has said on the website that they are waiting for information. I have persisted with phone calls to them and have got through twice but they are unable to look at our files because they admit the evidence will not have been processed - it will still be sitting in a pile!
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    19 September 2009 14:13 by: Marilyn Sandy

11. Funny how little impact the NUS is having on this situation? What happened to 'growing up' and being taken seriously? Seems the placard dropping hasn't worked. Student Finance, the government, anyone else, will treat students however they wish until we have an NUS that can actually put pressure on them. Of course they currently don't mind screwing over students, who's actually capable of doing anything about it? Certainly not the 'professionalised' NUS
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    19 September 2009 20:12 by: Radical student

12. Wes I should look at the following: http://www.slc.co.uk/about%20us/remit/index.html The annexes are under review. I wonder why. Jack Bovill Exec. Officer, Birkbeck College, Clubs and Socs. portfolio
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    20 September 2009 23:09 by: Jack Bovill

13. I am a parent of a student who sarted at bangor university on sunday 20th sept, Bnagor is 250 miles from where we live, my son has mild autism and i am having to correspond with student finance on his behalf which i have had to beg them to let me do this....I AM HIS PARENT FOR GODSAKE!!!! our application went in march, my finacial evidence was duly returned wuite swiftly since then we have had no end of problems and his funding still isnt through. i noticed an update yesterday that said finally awaiting assessment today it has gone back to saying more eveidence reqired!!!!! tTHEY HAVE HAD ALL THE EVIDENCE AND FORMS 3 TIMES OVER!!! i can bear the stress this is causing and i have now left myself in debt as i gave my son half my months salary to keep him going!! I am a single parent on low income HOW THE HELL HAS THIS BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE!!
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    23 September 2009 21:36 by: dawn stoten

14. Fully agree with you on this Wes. I can only imagine what these poor students can be going through right now. Each and every one of you has my heartfelt sympathies. Great BBC interview as well. Keep up the fight!
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    24 September 2009 16:25 by: James Broach

15. This was a disaster waiting to happen - when will government learn that bigger and centralised is not always for the best. According to my elders, the golden days were when student fees were paid for by local authorities- when you could get personal attention in person and if needs be collect cheques in person from your council. Wonder whether Northern Ireland and Wales will have more common sense than to give more work to SLC.
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    24 September 2009 23:10 by: Hopeful student to be

16. What a farce, I am yet another of the 50k club. I started last week and have had nothing yet. They have confirmed I will get the loan element but haven’t processed the grant part yet. On top of it all I was told on Tuesday it would be paid 3 working after they were notified of attendance by my college which was done on Tuesday. Having received jack s**t into my account I have now been told (yes I did get through), there is a hold on my payment while they confirm my NI number with the DWP which will take another week. Why was this not done months ago? It is total incompetence, in my opinion he's not fit to run a corner shop let alone Student Finance. Come on people if we all complain to our MPs 50k complaints may have some effect.
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    25 September 2009 20:44 by: Rich Murley

17. I am a mature student with a 7 year old boy. I applied in June and had to wait til July to renew my tax credit claim in order to send off my award notice. I have been told the wrong information 4 times by staff in their call centre each time they told me it would be 3 weeks. However after speaking to someone else on firday he told me what i had been told was incorrect and now i have to re send some information and send off my childs birth cert, something which they have never wrote and asked for nor asked for it on-line. Now I am back to a 3 week wait after they have recieved my info again. I'm in the second week of my course now. I've been set two essays and would really of like to of been able to buy myself the books to help me with this. The communication with them is terrible, i was fobbed off for weeks and now even though i applied in June i'm back to the start again. I cannot see a light at the end of this tunnel. I'm so upset and stressed out, it's hard enough trying to study and me a mum, plus hold down a part time job without this. Is nobody going to step in and help us?! As it stands i'm going to be almost two months into my course before i recieve a penny, even then i'm not holding my breath. I'm gutted.
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    06 October 2009 09:03 by: Claire

18. I started this comment with the details of my son's application which involves numerous examples of Student Finance England's poor administration procedures/systems but, although he still has no money and it seems unlikely he will get any within the next few weeks, it seems to me that more needs to be done nationally to force the government to investigate the problems and thoroughly audit the Student Loans Company and SFE. I am amazed that this has dropped out of the news when so many students and their families are affected - why isn't it still an obvious campaign on the NUS site - it took a while to find this page. I've written to both the BBC and Sky News to ask them to investigate further as only a possible PR disaster will force this government to act. Have NUS highlighted this issue at the party conferences? I have been to my MP who is contacting Mr Lammy on my behalf - we all need to do that and we need large influential organisations like NUS and the Universities to keep highlighting this issue until the Government take action to resolve the difficulties and ensure they aren't repeated next year.
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    06 October 2009 14:53 by: Viv Williamson

19. I'm yet another of the 50,000. All we get from SFE is excuses, i have friends that have been told that SFE 'need more information' and i myself it turns out 'don't exist in their online system' despite the fact that i have recived the confirmation letter and applied online as most other people did! Not only have i had issues with SFE but i also got no joy from my local Students Union, they do not respond to e-mails and when i speak to them in person all they do is direct me to the admin department, all i had asked them to do was contact NUS with the details that Norwich seams to have a very sizable number of the said 50,000 students! I know this is a little off topic but my local union is making it stupidly hard to stand as a representitive as they do not resopnd to communications and often say they are 'too busy' to talk, basically my union sucks!
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    13 October 2009 19:33 by: Webb

20. It's looks like you've inadvertently shot yourself in the foot with a letter in this week's THE (15/10/09). '...Students only spend 13.8% of their income on socialising...' Only?? One pound in every seven? As a professor I can't afford to do that! 13.8% would, by my reckoning, work out in excess of £1000 per year for an average student - I couldn't afford to do that either.
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    16 October 2009 13:27 by: David Wood

21. It's looks like you've inadvertently shot yourself in the foot with a letter in this week's THE (15/10/09). '...Students only spend 13.8% of their income on socialising...' Only?? One pound in every seven? As a professor I can't afford to do that! 13.8% would, by my reckoning, work out in excess of £1000 per year for an average student - I couldn't afford to do that either.
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    16 October 2009 14:00 by: David Wood

22. This issue continues on. Whilst Student Finance England pointed to record numbers of applications it doesn't explain the fact that they can lose records not once but twice. Birth certifcates lost. Applications suspended due to failure to provide proof of income even though they have previously acknowledged receipt. I have registered a formal complaint with the Advertising Standards Agency regarding the statement that "If you applied on time, you will be paid when your register on your course" Ralph Seymour-Jackson has now had a month since his TV appearances to get things sorted. The mess continues, he should be accountable, he should consider his position and resign.
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    24 October 2009 16:41 by: Cliff Matthews

23. I still have not received a single penny! I cannot even study for my exams because of how much this is stressing me out, I honestly can't sleep at night thinking about my rent, tution fees and food as I live on campus. I sent my application in June! I had a birth certificate and they didn't even respond to it for 2 months, then I got a new passport and sent the details and till this day they tell me "It is somewhere, it will be done soon". I just don't know what to do, I tried calling them up this morning but they are just BUSY again! I really am lost :( I wish someone could help me, I beg for help
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    29 December 2009 12:03 by: Adam

24. i'm another of the 50k club sadly, i got my application in on time and i'm still waiting for them to sort out the income assessed part of my loan and grant, i've been living off family handouts which is hardly ideal and has left me having to miss days of lectures because i can't afford the travel costs to get to campus. i just received the january installment of my loan on time...but the wrong amount once again. £1646 of loan is not acceptable when my january installment for halls costs is £1990 alone! with a home household income of roughly £5000 a year and myself living away from home and studying in london i should be receiving the maximum support loan, but i'm starting to lose hope of ever getting it sorted out and being paid the backlog they owe me and that i desperately need.
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    11 January 2010 02:19 by: Katie

25. I can not tell you how upset I am, normally i am a calm person but this has taken me to the edge..... as a parent of ... I feel that this Student Finance has been a total shame ... somehow if your circumstances are slightly out the 'normal' what ever that is ,,, student finance can not help... we have repeatedly sent information again and again.. but to no conclusion..... meanwhile my son is suffering at uni .. whats more they have sent him a letter to apply for the coming year !!! i am exhausted .... Has anybody got anywhere... where is the money he is entitled to !!!! We started all this in March 2009 its now Jan 2010 !!! Perhaps we should of applied from abroad and we would have been sorted by now ...... Who can we talk to .. who is in charge My sympathy to all in the same situation... I have another son wanting to start in Sept 2010 I really dont know if I can stand it this all again.
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    13 January 2010 13:29 by: Tracey

26. I have read these 25 comments from members of the 50k club with understanding. Regrettably the arrival of the loan is just the beginning of many years of frustration and upset. My daughter graduated a year or two ago and has been earning well under the threshold for repayment. She has been refused access to her account sent demands for unexplained 'arrears' and been sent threatening letters by an organisation called Smith Lawson & Company. I have telephoned varies departments of the SLC to try and help sort things out. Despite retaining impeccable manners, a calm approach and the clarity that befits a professional person SLC employees have 'hung up' on me rather than address the problems that their company's administration creates for young and newly graduated persons.
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    20 January 2010 19:50 by: Clarity

About me

Wes Streeting is the current National President of the National Union of Students. He was elected to the position in April 2008 with a convincing majority, having previously served as NUS’ Vice President for Education.

Wes has a strong interest in education policy, particularly on widening participation, and has held a number of positions within the higher education sector, notably membership of the ‘Burgess Group’ on measuring and recording student achievement.

He has also been a strong proponent of HE admissions reform as a member of the UK HE Sector Delivery Partnership Steering Group on admissions. He was a non-executive director of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education from 2006 to 2008 and has been a non-executive director of the Higher Education Academy since 2006.

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