loan for living expenses has been declined

I am beyond annoyed. I just got an email that my TERI loan has been declined. (The Stafford loan was fine, but that just barely covers tuition.) I feel so annoyed that they let me take out the loans for this long knowing that my PhD course was a 4 year programme and that they would eventually deny when I reached my limit. However, I am wondering how they came up with their figures because I did not think that I had reached the limit. I have been working this summer, but at the moment I would only be able to do 15/hrs a week because of just being on the student visa. I am not yet on FLR.

(This is not helped by the fact that I just had mouth surgery yesterday, which means that I am in pain.)

I can only post a quick reply right now, but you can appeal. I did for my last year and got it. I was declined because my US credit score had dropped (Mom was supposed to be sorting out paying bills for me and missed some!!!).

balmerhon,

Thank you very much for your message; I can tell that you can certainly empathize with my situation. The first guy was telling me that I could not take out any more TERI loans at all, in which case I would appeal as you have suggested. I just rang them again and the second guy said that actually it was an issue of me requesting more loans (combining Stafford and TERI's max amounts) than my university will allow per year, which means that I would have to request a $11,500 loan rather than a $20,000 one. The only thing that could have happened is that they lowered their limit from last year without telling me because in the last two years I was allowed to take out the full amounts for both loans. I will have to contact the student financial aid officer tomorrow to find out if that is what happened.

(I do hope something gets sorted out soon because in addition to this impacting on bills and such, I have been quite broody lately, thinking that if I get pregnant, I get pregnant; now it would be very tough if I suddenly got pregnant and my finances were much less, unless my husband's financial situation improved in terms of a higher paying job and/or he got loans. I am not sure how me doing more part-time work would make much of a dent, but it is probably not enough.)

 

Im sorry your having such a difficult time lately!!! 

I was in the opposite position when I applied for my student loans through Citibank... they were basically throwing money at me and letting me take out a huge amount of cash when I was 18-21 (probably not the most responsible age for me) now im 23 and having pay it off at an interest rate of 8.25%... Ouch!! 

Im sorry your having such a difficult time lately!!! 

I was in the opposite position when I applied for my student loans through Citibank... they were basically throwing money at me and letting me take out a huge amount of cash when I was 18-21 (probably not the most responsible age for me) now im 23 and having pay it off at an interest rate of 8.25%... Ouch!! 

Thanks, I am certainly looking forward to a bit of lunch and shopping in Preston soon enough!

Money, money, money, does my head in.

Applied for a private loan last night that should be absolutely fine. I think TERI had some sort of computer glitch and of course no one answered their phones at my university's financial aid/student support offices yesterday, so my husband and I went along with what might be a better option anyway. Apparently there have been a couple new kinds of loans available in the past year or so.

I have been working this summer, but at the moment I would only be able to do 15/hrs a week because of just being on the student visa. I am not yet on FLR.

Under the student rules, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term-time, and without a limit during vacations (that's during specific official vacations as defined by your college and, sometimes, by your specific course).

Unfortunately though, you cannot rely on your UK earnings in any immigration application to show you have sufficient funds, unless it's earnings from a sandwich course placement, or work guaranteed in advance by your university, or your the earnings of your dependant.

Hope it works out for you.

Under the student rules, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term-time, and without a limit during vacations (that's during specific official vacations as defined by your college and, sometimes, by your specific course).

Unfortunately though, you cannot rely on your UK earnings in any immigration application to show you have sufficient funds, unless it's earnings from a sandwich course placement, or work guaranteed in advance by your university, or your the earnings of your dependant.

Hope it works out for you.

Hi, can I just confirm this means that legally she will be able to work full-time in the summertime?


(her British hubby, Saj)

Hi, can I just confirm this means that legally she will be able to work full-time in the summertime?


(her British hubby, Saj)

since she's a PhD student it's a little different.  You're not supposed to work full time while you are expected to be doing academic work, regardless of whether it's during the uni's term time or not. Since she doesn't have clearly defined "vacation periods" during the summer, she'd have to agree on times of official vacation with her supervisor or else risk breaking the rules- at least, that's according to this UKCOSA guidance note.

since she's a PhD student it's a little different.  You're not supposed to work full time while you are expected to be doing academic work, regardless of whether it's during the uni's term time or not. Since she doesn't have clearly defined "vacation periods" during the summer, she'd have to agree on times of official vacation with her supervisor or else risk breaking the rules- at least, that's according to this UKCOSA guidance note.

Thanks for this info.

Yes, like Andrea says, it depends when the official vacation time is for your wife's course, as defined by the university.