Student Visa Help Needed!

I could really use some help!
I am getting near the date I am required to be at the university, September 20th.
I am to the Visa stage, and i hope that I have not screwed things up already!

Total amount required for school and living expenses is 16,340 GBP.
School tuition is 10,940 GBP and I am receiving $9452.50 in US Direct Loans.

Even though this is a direct arrangement with the university, the school does not acknowledge this amount of money as funds already paid on my CAS, but they sent me an official document stating the university would recognize it.
I submitted my online application on 7/24 even though my official 28 day mark for the remaining funds is 8/18.
I set up my biometric meeting for 8/13 so that the 8/18 will fall early within the 2 week period after biometric details have been taken and the supporting documents have to be sent.
I looked through the online application before submitting it, and it doesn't ask anything about the required funds needing to be ready so I felt comfortable submitting that portion, and am not submitting the self assessment/supporting documents/printed application until after my funds have been there the correct length of time.

Does that sound okay or like I just made a huge mistake by not waiting until the funds have been in my account the appropriate length of time to apply?

Since I am cutting it so close do you think I should go ahead and pay for the visa to be expedited?

My bank has advised me to pay the difference in tuition that I will owe after the subtraction of my US Direct Loan to the university prior to submitting my paperwork as the school will update your CAS with this info, I get the current exchange rate and I only have to show the USD equivalent to 5400 GBP has been in my account for 28 days, opinions?
Also, I have been saving all this money into my savings account, not checking, there is no problem with getting Savings Account Statements reflecting this is there as proof? Meaning they don't require it to be held in a checking account?

If I proceed as above, I will be mailing off the items below, can anyone tell me if I am missing anything?
1. Signed copy of Application Form
2. Filled Copy of the Appendix 8 Self Assessment
3. 2 color passport photos
4. Letter from bank stating I have held the funds 28 days
5. Official US Direct Loan letter from my university
6. Official College Transcript

Regarding the Self Assessment form, are we allowed to type in our information as opposed to hand writing it? My handwriting is terrible! I save a copy to my desktop but it doesn't seem to be a writable PDF?

Thanks in advance! I am an uber worrier!

I think the mods might need to move this to the Visa Section for you to get an answer.

Good luck with all of it, though! 

Hi,

In the Tier 4 policy guide I received from my university, it said that they would go by the closing balance in the account.  The statement needs to cover 28 days, but it didn't say the funds must have been there for 28 days.  This is in the case where you are sending in a regular bank statement.  For the case where you are sending a bank letter then your bank has to state something about the 28 days. 

I sent my documents today, everywhere I read stated only one photo is needed, but I mailed two since everyone here has said they mailed two.

Thanks for the input! We will be neighbors!
I don't mean to worry you, but do look at this link:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/evidence/money/#
You must show that you have held the required money for a consecutive 28-day period (finishing on the date of the closing balance) ending no more than one month before your application.

If you are providing your evidence of money from a single account, we will assess the funds available to you from the closing balance given on the document you provide as evidence. If you provide two or more pieces of evidence from a single account (for example, two consecutive bank statements), we will assess the money available to you from the closing balance of the most recent document.



You can use the following documents to show money that is available to you:

personal bank or building society statements, covering a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application;
a building society pass book, covering a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application;
a letter from a bank confirming that funds have been held for a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application;
a letter from a financial institution confirming that funds have been held for a consecutive 28-day period ending no more than one month before the date of your application;a letter from a financial institution confirming a loan, dated no more than six months before the date of your application.

I sent my documents today including a bank statement showing funds held for a month.

I'm looking at the tier4migrantguidance.pdf from UKBA and point 150 says the funds must have been held for 28 days, and then point 151 says they will assess the funds from the closing balance.  I definitely wouldn't risk it but to me it seems the 28-day thing might be flexible.

I'm so excited about Notts! Today I was checking out all the sports facilities info and also they are starting a bike renting program in September, you have to email them to get on the waiting list, the first 50 bikes will be rented for less...

I'm looking at the tier4migrantguidance.pdf from UKBA and point 150 says the funds must have been held for 28 days, and then point 151 says they will assess the funds from the closing balance.  I definitely wouldn't risk it but to me it seems the 28-day thing might be flexible.

The 28-day thing is not flexible - if the money hasn't been in the account for 28 days at time of application (the day you fill out the online form and pay for it), the visa will be refused.

Points 150 and 151 are talking about slightly different things and you need to meet both of them to get the visa:

150 - the money must have been in the account for 28 days

151 - the value of this money (that has been in the account for 28 days) will be assessed from the closing balance (not any other day covered by the statement) to ensure that it is enough to meet the visa requirements

If you meet point 150 (28 days), but you don't meet point 151 (you don't have enough money in the account at the closing balance), you won't get the visa. Similarly, if you meet point 151 (amount of money), but you don't meet point 150 (not 28 days) you won't get the visa.

Looking at the PDF guidance file you mentioned, point 156 (i) states that:

We will not accept statements which show the balance in the account on a particular day as these documents do not show that the applicant holds enough funds for the full period needed.

Guess I am going to have to cancel my app n biometrics wait til i have the funds the 28 days and try again, hopefully my school will accept me late!

If you notify your uni about this, including the people in the department your course is in, they'll probably be fine with it.

We had a few people arrive a week or two late in my course because of visa stuff.  They should understand that it's pretty much out of your control.