Unacceptable Delays and Poor Communication – Student Loan Without Surety

I had the worst experience applying for a student loan without surety with Standard Bank. I really needed this loan, but the process has been frustrating. My first application expired without feedback and I was told to reapply which I did, my second application was wrongly declined and their reason was course not approved despite my course being listed as approved on their website. They told me to reapply again but now my latest application is at risk of expiring again due to delays.

The lack of communication and support has made securing accommodation impossible, and I may have to deregister because of this. We should at least be informed that our applications will expire after certain days instead of being ignored until they do, it’s highly inconvenient and unfair to students who have no means to fund their studies and are forced to apply for a student loan.

The current system of communicating only via email is ineffective as emails can be ignored or get lost among others, forcing us to send multiple follow-ups that also end up being ignored. The whole process has been stressful to say the least.