For a while I have been feeling like I really need to air my opinions on Student Finance or SF as I shall refer to them to, because I don't want to wast my time typing their name! I would normally stick to things rather than my experiences, but someone needs to speak up!
Firstly a bit of context about my situation! I am a 'mature(ish)' student, in that I am in my 20s. I completed my undergrad degree in 2008-2011. This year I am doing my Post Graduate Certificate in Education, and like anyone else in my situation, am entitled to my 4th year of student finance. I live with my dad, who works but in a low income job, and my mother (divorced from my dad) is unemployed. I also have a sister who studied at uni from 2011-2014, which is relevant to my story!
Now I secured an unconditional place onto my PGCE course in February and knowing how long SF can take didn't wait long to apply. My application was sent out in April. Great. Dad fills in his part. Done. Great.
A while later, July to be precise I receive and e-mail from SF. Apparently they don't understand what course it is that I am applying to do. To put this in context, I go to Canterbury Christ Church Universtiy, which is famous for its PGCE course. Famous. It's been going on for a long time. This is not a new course. Anyway, like any normal person, I hit reply and respond to the email.
Big mistake.
Apparently if you email back it goes to junk. Now this wasn't a studentfinance@gov.uk (or whatever they use) email address. This was a man who was apparently assigned to my case emailing me. Literally why wouldn't you reply?! Anyone who uses email will have had an email at some point that says 'do not reply to this email'. NOWHERE did it say this. Or helpfully say 'please ring us'.No. They just let you email them back,
Well I carried on with my life, not really thinking much about it. In August I thought I best ring them. It was then that they told me you can't reply to their emails. Needless to say I found this both frustrating and distressing. So I spent a large chunk of that morning on the phone, on hold to them, whilst they told me that my course DOESN'T EXIST!
Obviously this is logical. A course that has been running for decades doesn't exist. Cue further distress and frustration. So I ring my university, who are frankly amazing! By the afternoon they had contacted SF on my behalf and sorted the course details out. Great. Superb. Let's get some money.
Not wanting to be caught out again I rang them to check everything was fine. Spent more time on hold (their on hold music is atrocious). Finally I get through to a human and ask if that is it, do they have everything? They say whilst my course is now fine, they still need evidence of my Dad's divorce.
Literally I feel cross writing this! My Dad has been divorced since I went to uni the first time around. In 2008, that is now 6 years ago. Since that original application 6 years ago, either my sister or I has applied for SF every year. Every single year they ask to see proof of my dad's divorce. Every. Single. Year. WHY!?!!? Can we not check a box saying evidence seen and have that remain on file?! No. I just can't get over how backwards this feels. So unprofessional and incompetent.
Eventually, now in my second week of uni, I receive my agreement and immediately send back my agreement. The relief. It is finally sorted. I don't think about it. I log on to my account in the following weeks and by about week 4 of uni they say my payments have been approved and scheduled for 29/09/2014. Great! Money!
The money does not arrive. I don't live in Canterbury. It costs £20 each day just to get there. Days I am in school cost £10 a day. Each day my money goes down so I had to dip into the savings. As I outlined at the beginning of this, I don't have parents who are in a financial position to support me. Thank goodness I have worked hard for 2 years to save money and could support my self,
By the 8th of October I am getting annoyed. The payments are scheduled, why haven't I received my money. So after a long day at school where I am training to teach, I ring them. Imagine the delight to spend time on hold after a long day, such a treat. When I get through, they tell me that I am not registered at the University I have attended for the last 5 weeks. I have to confess I threw the phone down.
Because of their original incompetence my form was sent off late which means that when the university register people you get pushed back and don't get registered. My oh my. So the 'scheduled' payments aren't really scheduled at all!
Once again, my university could not have been more helpful and they registered me the next day. So on the 23rd of October, 6 months since applying and 1 month since my payments were scheduled, I finally received my money! The sheer joy cannot be expressed in words.
Now I do not want to come across as ungrateful because I am not. I am lucky that I can go to uni and have the support of money, even if it is only a loan. People might be thinking 'poor little rich girl, whining about money', which to an extent I agree with. After all, I have my money and I am fine! I am in a privileged position and I will never forget that. But there is no way to complain about SF.The fact of the matter is that despite them being rubbish, I have to rely on them and trust I will get my money. But I need to express my story.
SF need to rethink how they do things and make the system better! Another point I would add is that I have 2 twitter accounts, one in my name and the other is this account, Review_That! They did not reply to one tweet I sent from my personal account. They replied to my tweet straight away from Review_That! If you pay someone to tweet then please make sure they reply to everyone. If I take the time to tweet SF it is because I want help and support, not to be ignored!
There has not been one part of the process of applying for SF that has been easy this year, just one situation after another. Really all emails you can't reply to should tell you that! It takes minutes to create an email signature that says 'please ring student finance'. That is all they need to do!
Anyway, rant over. I promise to stick to reviewing films from now on!
