Changes for Student Finance 2009/10

[DJ B4VVY]

I don't know how many of you are aware of this but Student Finance is being centralised from the 2009/10 academic year.

This means that all new students who are applying for finance for courses starting in September 2009 will have to apply directly with Student Finance England (previously called Student Loans Company). You will need to either apply either online at www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance and send original documents to the central processing unit in Darlington or download the form from there and send it with original documents to Darlington. You will not be able to apply through your Local Education Authority (LEA) anymore.

For returning students, you will be encouraged to apply online or you can download the form from the website and hand it in to your LEA. They are using the same tax year as last year (don't know why) so if you handed in evidence last year, you won't need to do it again this year.

In 2011, all LEA's will be closed down and everyone will have to apply online to Student Finance England.

If you have any questions about it, post in this thread!

[Guji-Ji]

Oh yea heard about this... So should I do it on paper again or just go for online this year? Seeing as I'm not doing it through LEA.

[DJ B4VVY]

If you're returning it will go through your LEA even if you do it online but if you do it online, you may get the hassle of not being able to log on or numerous other problems and then not being able to get through to someone to talk about it!

Best bet if your returning is to fill a paper one in.

[Rab C Nesbit]

FFS.
I don't want to send documents anywhere.
Organisations are so shit are returning things back, even when you send a SAE with a Signed For sticker on it.

When can you start applying to student finance people?
Can you do it before you even know whether you've got a place, or not?

[DJ B4VVY]

Yea you can apply before you get a place and you can apply now if you want!

[Guji-Ji]

If you're returning it will go through your LEA even if you do it online but if you do it online, you may get the hassle of not being able to log on or numerous other problems and then not being able to get through to someone to talk about it!

Best bet if your returning is to fill a paper one in.

So I can still apply through LEA as I'm a returning student?

[Cheeky_Princess]

i aim to start this sometimes this week lol

[DJ B4VVY]

So I can still apply through LEA as I'm a returning student?

Yep, you sure can!

[Guji-Ji]

Yep, you sure can!

Thank yous! I went to my LEA yesterday to get a PN1 form and they had the 08/09 ones. Is that normal? Or they just lazy?

[Iroquois Pliskin]

Its gonna be a bitch as im up north..

[Memphis]

Just apply for a maintenance grant and use that to pay for your loan...no more debts...

[DJ B4VVY]

Thank yous! I went to my LEA yesterday to get a PN1 form and they had the 08/09 ones. Is that normal? Or they just lazy?

I thought you were a returning student?

[DJ B4VVY]

Its gonna be a bitch as im up north..

Apparently you guys get more money? Or your tuition fees are less?

[Guji-Ji]

I thought you were a returning student?

Don't you fill out the same form?

[DJ B4VVY]

Don't you fill out the same form?

Nope! It's a PR1 form for the 09/10 academic year! But LEA's only have limited amounts of paper forms, if they run out then you will have to ring SFE for one or you'll have to do it online!