Warwickshire News Mine

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Don’t fall into sad Sam’s skint trap

The sun is shining, there’s exam revision to think about and student Sam can’t quite be bothered to get his head around the student finance form that has arrived.

He puts it to one side and worries about it later. Unfortunately, ‘later’ is when he gets his A-level results in the summer and he secures his place at university.

Sam then realises that he’s missed the deadline to get his loan and funding application to the authorities in time. The money is cleared in the end – but it’s a miserable start to university life.

To help students in Warwickshire avoid a similar fate to Sam, whose tale is featured in a photo story on posters distributed to schools around the county, advice sessions are being arranged.

Officers from Warwickshire County Council’s Student Finance Direct team will be on hand to check applications, give advice and help with any queries.

The advice sessions are at the following times. They are open to students from any school:
24 May 2006, 4.30pm to 7.30pm at Guy Nelson Hall, Warwick School
25 May 2006, 5.30pm to 8pm at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College (Nuneaton site)
6 June 2006, 5.30pm to 8pm at Stratford Grammar School for Girls
8 June 2006, 4.30pm to 7.30pm at Warwickshire College (Rugby site)

Student Finance Manager Donna Isard said: “Our priority is to make sure students have funding in place by September and these advice sessions are part of the assistance we can offer.

“The funding application form can look daunting but we are doing everything we can to help students understand them. We have several thousand forms to process and it helps everybody concerned if they are completed correctly.“

The application forms (PN1) for students entering higher education in 2006 are available from all sixth forms and colleges in Warwickshire and have to be returned by 30 June. More information is available by calling the national support centre 08456 077577 or visiting http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/studentsupport.

Ends

Note to editors: ‘Sam’ and his student friends were played by students at Campion School and Community College in Leamington. The photo story poster is available for use – for this and any other information, please contact Antony Hopker in the Warwickshire County Council press office on 01926 418606.