Chagstock was amazing. Cleverly laid out, well organised, not too wet and with amazing bands – notably The Bad Shepherds, With Nell and Eye and The Hoosiers. The main stage was set up so you could see the tors of Dartmoor in behind and it was just beautiful. Camping was successful and we didn’t get blown away in the fierce gales of Saturday night. I had to get my Dad to run my coat out because it was much, much colder than I was anticipating, but it was my first festival so I’m allowing myself that one oversight and it’s not like I was far from home. I’m looking forward to the early bird tickets released for next year.
The guys I’ve been coxing have come on really well this week and I’m confident for Greenbank Falmouth Regatta this weekend. Balance isn’t all there yet but everything else is looking good. I also had a phone call from mr who has succeeded in not gaining any extra holes or broken bits and has nearly finished his exercise.
That’s all the good stuff done, now for the rant. Student Finance England is just the most useless company I have ever come across. I cannot believe they are entrusted with such an important task when they appear to be completely incompetent. I appreciate it’s a big undertaking, organising the finance for all the people that go to uni. But I expect a team of children could do a better job than them. I’m not sure that I’ve had even one year of funding that’s gone smoothly.
I had an email telling me I had been assessed and the results were on my account online. I checked, and that just said they were awaiting financial info from my parents, which I sent to them in the middle of June. The rest of it still said I had asked for the maximum but was entitled to nothing. I rang them and they said they’d done an initial assessment on a non-means tested basis and the assessors had decided I was entitled to nothing. They received my parents’ financial information on 16th June and had scanned it on the 29th June and were so far up to processing the 24th June. They have now decided they want a letter form my Mum confirming she is a housewife and dependent financially on Dad, which they hadn’t asked for when I called in May. Also when I called in May they confirmed to me I would be entitled to a fee loan. No one will tell me what has changed since then, and usefully the guy I spoke to noted on my records I had called and he had asked for the passport and financial evidence, but not that I had funding confirmed. I’m so upset; I just don’t know what to do. If they had told me from the off that I wouldn’t get funding, I wouldn’t mind so much, but the fact that for all this time I’ve thought I’d be covered… Plus with their backlog they won’t get to the letter from my Mum in time before I start the course. It’s just a mess, they’re pants. And I was in such a good mood this morning as well. Why do I want to go to med school again? At every turn something tries to stop me.
7 comments:
Good luck on getting it sorted it looks like we should all be getting it so just dont give up hope!
I don't understand, you have done one degree using student finance and now you expect the taxpayer to give you subsidised loans and a grant so you can do a second? Do you want them to throw in a mansion as well, or just give you some fifties to wipe your backside with as well?
^^Get the Fuck Out! Too pussy to leave your name.
Student Finance really are the pits...I totally get that feeling you're talking about, that sometimes everything in life seems to be conspiring against you to stop you getting into medicine. Be patient a little longer, the uphill struggle will soon be over and you'll be at PMS :)
Thank you broken angel and grumpy, and the mysterious jjkkll. I might be getting somewhere with getting funding, but it's not looking hopefull It seems the general consnsus is yes, you're right, but we still won't fund you. As for anonymous.... have you read any of the rest of my posts to find anything out about me, or have you just made a snap judgement? I'm a taxpayer, I've worked every holiday for the last 5 years and intend to continue doing so. For the term time periods when I can't do paid work I've done more than my fair share of community service, and not just because I wanted to look good on my PS. It's not like I'm asking for funding for a degree that won't get me a job at the end of it to pay it back, or that you could say being a Dr wasn't a worthy job, and I would eventually be on a pretty high tax band giving back to the country the way they gave to me. It's not like I can say oh well, the SFE won't fund me, I'll borrow from the bank of Mum and Dad instead, because they have nothing to give me at all, less than nothing in fact, they're borrowing from me atm. I wouldn't have such an issue with it if I'd been told all along I wouldn't get funding, but to be told I def would and then for them to change their minds for no reason, it's infuriating. Does that make it clearer for you?
Then Ilovehotchocolate, why do you not get a professionals loan? You seem not to understand that with govt. gilt is at its lowest 3.5%, so you expect the government to pick the can up of the price difference between the interest they charge you and the amount they pay. Just because you are less financially well of and you might one day pay a higher rate, does not make you eligible to have more than others. And the fact that you did some voluntary work, well thats taking the piss, I guess it is a similar vein to how MP's would justify dodgy expenses.
Also, as a med student, its bloody self-righteous to think medicine is a more 'worthy job' than others. All I can advocate is you find a little bit of humility and try and culture the idea that possibly this life is not all about 'I should be entitled to this, I should be entitled to that, someone call the wambulance because its not fair!'
Sorry to hear about the Student Finance mess, keep trying! I've just re-read some of your old posts to try and raise my motivation to study for the GAMSAT, I've got 'the fear' but I think I've lost my studying mojo for today! All the best x
Post a Comment