Student Finance help needed

[podperson]

Hi,

 

Really need some advice, sorry if it's a little long. My partner has recently finished his second year of a 4 year degree course. He has done I think 2 years before but had to leave the course due to mental health issues (his previous uni offered little to no help or support with these). After a few rather bad years he ended up starting all over again, going back to college and then being offered a place on a very well respected course doing a subject he loves. We moved 200 miles, left family etc. I've moved job, but I feel it's worth it as he has improved no end.

 

Anyway we were originally told that since we're on a very low income he would get full grants/maintenance loans and his fees paid - we received the official statements from Student Finance to this effect. Towards the end of his second year he started getting reminder emails from his uni saying the fees hadn't been paid for the first year and only half of them for the second year. He went into the finance office with the statements from Student Finance and they agreed that it clearly stated they were paying the fees so it must be a mistake and they would chase them up. Anyway we finally hear back at the end of his second year that Student Finance are refusing to pay for the first 2 years since he has already done 2 years previously. This was literally the first we had heard of it and they couldn't explain why they had said on the statements that they were going to pay. My partner wouldn't have started the course and we wouldn't have moved if we'd known we'd have to pay the fees as there's no way we can afford them!

 

After many phone calls and complaining my partner spoke to a manager there who agreed with him that since it was their mistake in saying they would pay and they had already paid half the fees for the second year then they would pay that year and we would have to pay the first year. This wasn't ideal but we were hopeful that the uni would accept installments since the year had been completed so we agreed to this. They paid the rest of the second year fees and the uni confirmed this. I've been chasing them today about his grant which they told me had been put on hold pending income information and they now tell me that not only are they not going to pay it now but they have 'reassessed' the fees and are going to take them back from the uni. I explained to them what had happened and how a manager had authorised it under the circumstances but they were not interested and simply stated the uni would probably be in touch soon chasing the money!

 

I really don't know what to do now. I can't believe that after agreeing this they would suddenly go back on it. My partner would never have started this course if we had known this in the beginning but he is doing really well on it and I don't want him to have to drop out and still have us stuck with a massive bill for the fees. Any advice gratefully received!!