Weh have been told today that there is funding available for masters students of social work from the student finance england.
You cannot do it online and some phone people at the other end do not remember that sw is the exception that they provide funding at masters level.
I am not sure how much is means tested loan or grant payment but "every little helps"
That sounds interesting. I know you said you cannot do this online but is there a website which further explains this at all? Or would it be best to call them?
Nowhere written online, and we had major issues over the phone.
I am sure he won't forgive me but Mark Dely was the contact that informed us. Many of the operators told us we were not eligible. So phone and see where you get ;)
I have phoned them today and got nowhere they say they dont offer anything for postgrad masters students only if you have started as an undergraduate and end up after 4 years with a masters....also told not eligible for a professional and career development loan from Barclays - anyone got any more suggestions?
They do. but only for masters in social work. Talk to the above guy - he was the only one i spoke to who said we do!!
I know a few people who have got it. You will need the paper form as the MA social work is not on the online form. I know someone who got about 2k from it :)
I just spoke to them and they said that yes we are entitled to help, only if we had an income assessed bursary, NOT a non-income assessed bursary.
She told me to download the form at www.direct.gov.uk/sf2011pn1 and choose option as full time course with placement. There is also a notes form available which says that we're entitled.
Where is the notes form thats available please? I am in receipt of NHS bursary which has a basic part that everyone is entitled to and the means tested part also - does this mean im not eligible?
the notes part is on that link too.
i think that means you are eligable. i think what they mean is that if you're not entitled to the means tested part of the bursary (as income too high or whatever) then you won't be entitled to this.
ok its def worth a try thanks :) ill give it a whirl - anyone on here had any success with it?
just read the notes on the link posted above and it says if you get the income-assessed part of the bursary you are eligible for the non-income assessed part of the maintenance loan, but at a reduced rate, and nothing else. So its not a grant or anything just a loan, which I suppose is better than nothing definitely if struggling, but will need to be paid back.
yeah, it is a loan not a grant. But it'll help massively as I have no money left within days of receiving my bursary!
Does anyone know how roughly much we will receive? Also has anyone heard anything about bursaries and tuition fees yet?
Georgia.
I applied via paper application stating that I was on the full time course including placement and they have sent a letter back saying I am not eligible.
It says on the letter that support is only available for
First degree programmes
Foundation degree
HND or DIP HE courses
Post-graduate teacher training.
I'm really disappointed because I could really do with some extra support. Anyone else have any luck?
I too was told by letter that I'm not eligible, even though the telephone advisor said I was. I just get the impression that they don't really know what they're doing. I'm completely broke :(
I got so confused with all this financing first of all!
I wanna go on to the MA course, so through student finance they do not support you what so ever, but depending on your uni the fees are majority paid off by NHS, you will just have to pay some fee around 1k per year...
check this website out http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students even call them they were so helpful! basically they give you the money for whats available at that time for fees, then you get another bursary-look at it as maintenance grant, the maximum you can get per year is around £5000, thats excluding your fees... so if you want to move away this could be a massive help as this is what I want to do! everyone is pretty useless when getting advice about the finance apart from those guys themselves, theyre all lovely and explain it much more.
the forms to apply wont actually be available untill around march time, but do it asap as theres still a long waiting list for recieving the money.
Hope this helps!!
Jen :-)
I'm on the MSc Social Work course and in receipt of the full NHS bursary and I also managed to successfully apply for a career development loan from Barclays. I don't think I would have survived without it!
More members of my SW masters have managed to get the maintenance grant from student finance England. despite having already got the NHS Bursary.
I have just applied for mine, fingers crossed.
I think it is luck of the draw, for those that have tried to apply. It is the normal form, but Masters in SW are eligible.
It is really frustrating because this is incompetence on their part. Let me know if you have any success. I am going to call them next week to see if I can get any more clarity on this.
I'm studying for the Masters and applied on the paper form to student finance around about mid October. My application was agreed and I received the first instalment of the grant last week.
I've just spent a good 1/2 hour on the phone to them and they just will not accept that the MA in SW is eligable. I've asked to speak to several different people and they just keep saying the same thing. Like smacking your head aginst a brick wall!
Is anyone willing to send a private message with the name of someone at Student Finance who can actually help?? I won't make the name public.
I am struggling so much and knowing that some people are getting it when others aren't seems so unfair! Grrr.
I have just called them and I have had a little more luck surprisingly.
Although I was on hold for almost half an hour, I was told that the reason I may not have been eligible MIGHT BE because my course code is not on the HEI database.
Apparantly I have to let my university know so that they can apply my ucas course code to the database.
It might be worth checking this when you call them because there's a good chance other people have had this problem. Also I can assure you I was told by the operator that I will definitely be eligible for at least the loan.
Still really annoyed that they couldn't let me know this in the first place. Instead they just sent me a generic letter stating my course isn't eligible.
Now comes the arduous task of seeing if I can even get the university to check into this for me! I will let you know what happens.
Try writing and sending it Recorded Delivery - that at least provides proof that you have written and saves ages on the 'phone.
If no response after, say, 14 days, write an official Complaint.
Keep copies of all correspondence.
Hi,
has there been any more clarity on this yet? I have applied for the 2012 cycle and was wondering if there has been any development on this? seems to sound like student finance are giving some people loans and other not- defo could use the extra help!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I got it, came through week before last. 3 others on my course got it too.
Did you ring up student finance to sort it or is there an online form? Do you know if it is only for people who are means tested?
I've lodged a formal complaint to them over it and they are investigating. Some people have had money and others are being told the course isn't eligible which I think is very unfair.
Will put the outcome of my complaint on here when I hear something.
I had been going back and forth to my university admissions to try to sort this out. They told me they were looking into it numerous times then they eventually just outright said I am not eligible and left it at that. I've pretty much given up hope of getting this finance because if its not the university messing me around its student finance
After reading a few posts on here about a month ago, i thought i would call and give it a go. I informed them that i was a Masters S/W student and wanted to find out whether i could apply for finance. They said to me that I can only apply for the Maintenance Loan ( i was hoping i could apply for the grant) online or request a paper application. I decided that i would rather manage with what i get for the masters than take the loan for now.
Hope that helps :)
Can anyone tell me which universities people have managed to secure this extra funding are attending please
the university of hertfordshire
I was just wondering if you got your grant/loan from Student Finance and whether you have any tips for the application to make sure its approved.
Thanks
Hi, I am a Social Work student MSC and really struggling financially. Did you apply for a Maintainance Loan or Grant? Are able to please send me the link for the paper form and if there is anyone in particular i can forward it to to ensure approval?
Thank you so much.
Wow this seems Very confusing. totnesian - have you had any response to your complaint as yet?
Just to confuse matters further, does anyone know if the dame rules apply for Student Finance Wales?
Thanks :)
Hi!
I applied to student finance and have received a letter saying that I am not eligible. I got the basic bursary and the income assessed bursary from the NHS. I am a 1st year MA student.
Not sure why I'm not eligible when others are? Someone on my course at Goldsmiths has been told they are eligible too!
Very frustrating
xx
I eventually got a reply saying that the MA is definitely not eligible. They deny that anyone would have got it. Very unhelpful!
But I only have 13 weeks left now, so I really can't be bothered to chase it anymore.
I hope others get lucky with their applications.
Sorry, ignore my last post!! I've just had a closer look at the document and its doesn't specifically mention social work students.
Aw this thread has destroyed any hope I had that the Student Loans would lend me money - I'm started a MA this Sept and can't believe the pittance they expect you to live on! I'm not eligible for a means-tested grant until 2013 either... is anyone else in this situation? Worrying myself stupid over this and haven't even started! x