Sponsored by
Mum 'forced to quit university dream'
A Preston mum-of-four claims she was forced to quit her dream university course after falling victim to government red tape.
Disabled Heather Schulz from Frenchwood had spent a decade gaining the qualifications she needed to enrol in a part-time combined honours course at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
But just weeks into the course her benefits were stopped and she has been forced to quit.
Heather, 41, enrolled on a part-time course in October and applied to the Student Loan Company for help with her tuition fees.
But within two weeks she was asked to provide details to the Department of Works and Pensions so her benefits could be re-assessed.
However, Heather said: "They stopped our benefits and said they wouldn't reinstate them until either they got a letter from the university stating that as a part-time student I was claiming for tuition fees and nothing else or a letter from the university declaring that I had withdrawn from my place at university.
"The university could not write a letter about my finances because I have not been assessed by student finance yet, and they said it would take another four weeks to complete my assessment and send out notifications."
Heather, whose husband Paul is also disabled, said her money was stopped after two weeks and the family was forced to use their Christmas savings and a bank overdraft to pay bills.
She said her two youngest children, aged 11 and 14, will now lose out on presents.
Now Heather has taken the heartbreaking decision to quit her course.
She said: "Both my husband Paul and I are disabled and I suffer from severe depression.
"My husband's bank account was more than 300 overdrawn because we had bills going out and no money coming in. We are still overdrawn now.
"We had to use Christmas money to get by until our money was reinstated. When we did get our money it was swallowed up by the overdraft leaving us still out of pocket.
"The Benefits Agency basically blackmailed me into quitting university as we couldn't live without any money for four weeks.
"They have held my family to ransom; the price – I have paid with my dreams."
She spent 25 years dreaming of going to university, and after battling cancer spent 10 years studying part-time to gain the qualifications she needed to enrol.
She added: "I feel like there is a dark cloud hanging over my head and that I have no future."
A spokesman for UCLan said: " We are happy to say that she will not have to pay for the short time she was here."
The Student Finance company was criticised in the summer for a massive backlog in dealing with applications.
However, a spokeswoman said it takes an average of six weeks to process applications, of which they have received 6,000 in the past two weeks.
A DWP spokesperson said: "We are sorry that an apparent delay in processing a student financial assessment has affected the claim for Income Support.
"However, entitlement to Disability Living Allowance, Child Benefit and Carers Allowance would still continue.
Click here to return to the Education main page
“We will contact Mr and Mrs Schultz to confirm that the facts presented to the Evening Post are consistent with those submitted in support of their benefit claim.”
l If you are still waiting for your student loan to be come through, contact sonja.astbury@lep.co.uk
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 3 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
