Promised £500 travel bursary by uni and they're not paying!

0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

Back in 2011 when I was going off to university, Swansea Met were advertising in their prospectus a £500 non means tested travel bursary for all students. The only criteria was that you lived over 45 miles away on the AA route planner door to door.

After signing up and be committed to the university, when we all received our welcome packs, they cheekily had revoked this offer and according to them we were no longer eligible and the bursary was no longer available for our year. (However continuing students were still eligible and students that joined the year after also got the bursary)

Here is a picture of it clearly written in the 2011 perspectus:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1235354_10153256374565720_1636071694_n.jpg

We also have screenshots of the website from the year we were going advertising the bursary as well.

Coupled with this, we have managed to obtain a financial report (which I believe the uni has to publish each year) showing that the money was actually put aside when the plan for the year was made in order to give us the bursaries as it doesn't come from the university, the welsh government actually give the uni the money to give to us.

Now, what I want to know is how legally binding all this stuff is? We've had meeting after meeting with members of the university, and they think that because in our welcome packs it said we weren't eligible, they've covered themselves. I personally can't believe that for a second.

I need to know from someone who has a good understanding about this sort of stuff the best course of action. We've tried the nice way by speaking to them and they've basically after 2 years of fobbing us off just laughed in our face and said no.

Think its a bit of a piss take to be honest. That £500 have would insured, tax'd mot'd and serviced my bike each year which is exactly what it's there for! I've never really needed it as I had some money put away, but this year I'm going to really struggle to keep my bike on the road as I just don't have the cash at the moment.

Adds up to £1500 over the three years each person will be down which is a ridiculous amount of money to a student so only help would be appreciated in the replies.

I'll try and dig out the financial report and post it up here but any advice on course of action would be great.

Thanks
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0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

Here is a link to the financial plan I was on about:

https://www.hefcw.ac.uk/documents/about_he_in_wales/studying_in_he/Swansea%20Met%20fee%20plan.pdf

Page 6 of the report.
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Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

map · Mr Calendar Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

Not been legally trained I'd say on the face of it would depend on whether the wording in the prospectus constituted a contract between you and the university.

...and you really should pop along to (a) Citizens Advice and/or (b) one of those legal firms that do free 30min/1hour consultations to ~~see if they can squeeze you for cash~~ give you some advice.

Best of luck Thumbs Up

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0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

JonB · Afraid of Mileage Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Karma :

I'm guessing your degree is not in English Literature. That screenshot clearly says £329, not £500.
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garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

..... · Quote Me Happy Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Karma :

Sod the bursary, we want to see the photos from Rachel.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Indeed, you "may" be eligible.

Look you, this is a simple contractual dispute. Advice on that is what the CAB is there for, but essentially you just:

#1 Invoice Swansea poly, explain why you think they owe you money, and tell them how long they've got to pay.

#2 When they ignore you or tell you to GTFO, do the exactly same again but this time head it NOTICE BEFORE ACTION.

#3 File a claim against them.

Chop chop.
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JonB · Afraid of Mileage Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Karma :

..... · Quote Me Happy Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Karma :

fatpies · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Mar 2011 Karma :

Simply threaten legal action against them.

Universities have a form of charity status ( Laughing

) but really with the introduction of fees, you're in effect a customer of theirs.

Therefore you signed a contract they signed a contract. You have them for either breaking the terms or specific performance.

The funny thing is if they say 'no legitimate expectation' then they are in effect saying all of the things they advertise in their prospectus has 'no legitimate expectation'.

Which would be like saying yeah the prospectus is a lie which has them in a pickle.
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map · Mr Calendar Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Nick 50 · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Jul 2011 Karma :

Have you contacted student union about it?
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0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Have you spoken with the Student Loan Company and what did they say? You need to make a reasonable attempt to resolve the matter prior to seeking resolution through the courts.

0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

N cee thirty · Banned Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Karma :

uni will have plenty of money going spare, £30 fine for a smoke alarm being set off by accident, horrendous parking fee's, list goes on

cash cow.
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Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Nick__C · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Oct 2008 Karma :

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Is Vince Cable the Chancellor of this uni?

Fuckers. Hope you can get a result here OP.
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0l0dom0l0 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Karma :

Pete. · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Karma :

10 hours and 2 minutes for a double-post to appear. Must be some kind of record.

You might be able to claim for that Very Happy

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sabian92 · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Oct 2012 Karma :

Can I just add...

What a wank website. For a uni, that's shocking.

Secondly, if they advertise it then drop it and hope you don't notice, that sort of implies they knew they were up to no good.

Have a chat with CAB and your SU and see what they say. I know in prospectuses if they list a course with certain modules in it (Say you were studying English Lit and one of the books was a Shakespeare novel) then drop it then there's not much you can do about it. This might be different though.

I've just started uni as well up in Liverpool, they're a load of wangs. Good lecturers but the administration couldn't organise an orgy in a swinging club.

ficedula · Scooby Slapper Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Karma :

Good luck; that prospectus looks like it's your best bet, should you have to go to small claims, because it doesn't say anything about 'may' be eligible, just says it 'will' be paid if you live >45 miles away.

Can't think that revoking it in the welcome pack is much use, if you only received that after signing up and committing to study there. Bit late then to change your mind and start applying to other universities.