Student Finance F*ck Ups
Written by Tamsin Cook
Here I am once again. Being forced to pay unwillingly to listen to a tinny rendition of “Kid Rock”.
In what situation have I found myself? Ah yes, on the phone once again to Student Finance England where one bright spark decided that for those calling with cash flow related problems, a premium rate phone number and a never ending queue is somehow acceptable.
Just one in a veritable string of epic failures by the company. One evening I tried to decipher exactly where each of the main political parties stand on top-up fees and student funding in light of the imminent general election. Although this seems to be an impossible task due to cryptic or meaningless policies, I came across many interesting, eyebrow raising nuggets of information discussed in the commons surrounding the Student Loans Company. For example, within three months 750,000 phone calls went unanswered by the Student Loans Company, a figure I would find more surprising and perhaps amusing if I hadn’t been one of the frustrated students on the other end who contributed to this figure.
In the House of Commons debates on the 14
th October 2009, the Shadow Secretary of State for Universities and Skills David Willet noted that “When we look into the detail of what happened, we find that the papers that students send in are sent to Darlington. From Darlington they are taken by truck to Glasgow, where they are supposed to be electronically scanned in. We are told that the electronic scanners in Glasgow do not work properly, so the papers are put back on a truck and taken back down to Darlington, where much of the data is apparently being manually input because the electronic scanning procedures do not work.” Wow. I sincerely hope that the organisational structure is not made up of JMU graduates.
Being one of the lucky first years, I received my loan and grant only one day after my accommodation instalment was deducted from my account, with enough savings to avoid going in the red. I assumed everything had finally been processed and accounted for properly, information manually input successfully. Then it came to the last week in February. Reams of students strolled out of the library clutching pieces of paper, bright smiles on their faces evidence of the bursary they had just received.
Sure that I was entitled to a bursary though not having received an email or letter, I presumed I had simply slipped through the gate as it were. However on enquiring as to the reasons for this I was told by JMU Finance that the Student Loans Company had not shared my household income information despite the fact that I knew I had ticked all the right boxes. A phone call (a very expensive one!) revealed that the SLC believed certain documents had never been received...even though said evidence had been mailed on recorded delivery in June and sent back from them months later!
Hence the torturous lingering on hold so far racking up at least £10. I console myself with the knowledge that I can let SLC know how I feel about their service through the survey on their website. Oh wait...a blank page pops up. Think that just about sums it all up.
