Student visa funding requirements question...I am fighting with my uni over this

I was debating if I put this under visas or here so if I am wrong on my placement feel free to move it.

So here is the story... I created a budget that took into account damn near everything I needed, including a bit of a cushion in-case the exchange rate became worse, what I didn't count on was getting ill advise from my course leaders (the course is split between 2 countries) on the costs of rent in the Netherlands.  I was told it would be 350 euros a month for three months (which is how long my visa was for).  The day before I was to arrive I was informed that it was actually 555 euros and I would HAVE to pay for 4 months or not have housing, that is a difference of 1016 pounds (if converted today).  Needless to say this killed my budget and is starting to cause some stress.  I went to the student aid person asking if I can increase my loan and she basically said I can't.... one of her arguments was that the government says I need 600 pounds a month to live (plus tuition).  Right, I told her that was a minimum not a maximum but she disagrees so here are my questions

1) the 600/800 finances requirement is a minimum right?
2) Has anyone in the past been able to increase their loans?
3) Why is that they are your loans, you pay them back yet some person who you don't know and will never see again can have a death grip on your financial stability?

Thanks for any advise etc...


ps, I took a look this woman's budget and she didn't even have the cost of books in there or copy costs or field research cost for my dissertation.

Your US loans have nothing to do with the UK government.  If you are using Stafford loans, then you are allowed to have enough to cover your tuition fees + cost of living.  The uni is limited to how much they are allowed to authorize as "cost of living", otherwise they get the what-for from the US government.  For post-graduate students at my uni, it is £10,000 per annum.  So that's tuition fees + £10,000.

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you'll see it: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/registry/students/studentfinance/available/loans/stafford/#d.en.33021

If you have private loans, then you are probably subject to whatever limits they have, which is probably higher.  It's got nothing to do with whatever Tier 4 maintenance hula-ba-loo she's talking about.

Thanks nose-over-tail, very helpful.  Quick question, just want to make sure I am reading this correctly, the Graduate plus loans fall under the cost of living maximum, right? 

If I recall correctly, yes.  Hope that helps.