Advisor for Student Finance, Cited as Ineffective by Tony Hetherington, Leaves Individual with a £9,250 Debt
Title: A Misleading Student Loans Company Fiasco
Your daughter received a letter from the Student Loans Company (SLC) admitting their mistake, but they insisted on awarding funding according to student support regulations, leaving her with a mere £9,150 to cover this year's fees.
The SLC claims your daughter did not confirm the length of the new course, and a misunderstanding occurred when the adviser attempted to clarify this through an online conversation. The issue surfaced when her application was received, and the SLC rejected her funding before the new course even started.
It seems the helpline at the SLC is less than helpful. In this instance, the rejection came just days before your daughter's new course began, leaving her with only two unappealing options: quit university or take up a part-time job to accommodate her studies. The stress of finding time for studying has not only affected your daughter but also concerned her tutors.
Upon investigation, a Subject Access Request under data protection rules revealed a full transcript of her enquiry. It turns out the call did not conclude in the way SLC depicted.
Your daughter clearly explained her situation during the call, stating she had just completed the second year of her Biological Chemistry course and wanted to switch to a more medicine-related course. She asked the adviser if she'd be funded for the subsequent three years, to which the adviser confidently replied that she would have a further three years' eligibility of full funding.
Speaking with the SLC, it appears that the adviser erred in their response, but they have since used a loophole to escape accountability. The adviser's response was conditioned by the SLC's robot, which stated: "Our live chat team can answer your questions, but they cannot guarantee student finance. We need to review your entire application before making a decision."
In essence, the adviser can answer your questions, but you should not rely on the answers. This rather undermines the purpose of an advice service, wouldn't you agree?
Additional Insights:
The Student Loans Company (SLC) is responsible for managing student funding in the United Kingdom, working alongside organizations such as Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). The SLC offers several channels for students to inquire about their funding, including phone, email, and postal correspondence, with likely restrictions for appeals and complaints. Live chat, while useful for clarifying general queries, is typically limited in its ability to make final funding decisions, which are usually based on an application form and supporting documentation.
### TONY HETHERINGTON: My pension and lump sum were hacked...### TONY HETHERINGTON: Company seems real - so do I pay £9,000...**
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- The misleading fiasco with the Student Loans Company (SLC) has left your daughter with a personal-finance dilemma, as she was awarded only £9,150 for this year's fees, despite the SLC's admission of their mistake.
- The SLC's helpline has been unhelpful, as the rejection of your daughter's funding came just days before her new course began, leaving her with two unappealing options: quitting university or taking a part-time job to accommodate her studies.
- Upon investigation, a Subject Access Request under data protection rules revealed that the adviser's response during the call was not accurately portrayed by the SLC – your daughter was told she would have further three years' eligibility of full funding for a medicine-related course.
- In conversation with the SLC, it appears the adviser erred in their response, but they have since used a loophole to avoid accountability, stating that their live chat team can answer questions, but they cannot guarantee student finance.
- This undermines the purpose of an advice service, as it seems that while the adviser can answer your questions, you should not rely on the answers, especially when considering education-and-self-development or general-news matters concerning finance, mortgages, and loans.
