daughter refused finance...

magoogy

my daughter was refused finance for a further education course and was advised to change to a certain course instead which is a higher education course...she has now got her student finance application back and has been denied again - they have once again said it is because it is a further education course and not a higher education, yet, it is from the higher education prospectus......they have the course listed as FOUNDATION COURSE IN FINE ART....whereas the new one is listed as BTEC FOUNDATION DIPLOMA IN ART AND DESIGN.....do you think they are still using the old information of the original course or does anyone know if the btec diploma is in actual fact a further ed and not higher???

im going to have to wait until tomorrow to phone and am stressing....if she doesnt get funding will she be entitled to any help? i think she will get full fee remission for the course with her parents being on income support and disability? and would she just get the £30 a week adult learning - she is 19....that would be spent on her busfares mostly.....

thanks

RachelRa

Art foundations of any kind don't get finance. It is awful.

I took a gap year. I would have to pay £1500+ if I took my place on foundation year (if I'd gone straight from college I wouldn't have to pay fees). I couldn't find any support. I was told the fee would only be £98 if my family was on low income support though (this didn't apply to me).... this may help you?

I decided to go straight into an Art degree, because I'd worked hard enough over my A Levels and gap year to build up a portfolio (and had double the UCAS points needed). I got my first choice ... However I did get rejected from some of my choices because I hadn't done foundation. They claimed I should have stayed at home and studied foundation and my parents should have paid. *rolls eyes* BIG problem in the Art school system. There were only 30 places on the ONE foundation course in a 25 miles radius (Norwich, in Norfolk)..you're only chance was to get on that course, because you couldn't get a living costs grant to stay anywhere else.

Sorry... rant.

It sucks. I hope you do find some help, but I didn't manage to.

Oldernotwiser

Funding for Art Foundation courses has always been difficult but by changing the course to a BTEC the college has brought it into a regular funding regime for FE. As long as she doesn't already have a level 3 qualification she should be eligible to have her fees waived under the Level 3 entitlement and also receive the ALG. If she already has 2 or more A levels or any qualification at the same level then, I'm afraid, she's going to have difficulty in funding this.

magoogy

well it seems there is different answers for whomever you speak to...have called student finance and she definitely not entitled so called student support at college and first was told she wouldnt get no fee remission even though her parents on disability......her fee would be £304 a year in 5 payments...but, if she was on benefits she would get it waived - but, tried to see if she entitled to any benefits but no - she can have the adult learners grant of £30 a week and thats it.....

called back to student support to double check and then was told she will get full fee remission with us being on disability........not sure what is true there....

so to recap - she might get full fee remission and will get £30 a week and thats it.....

looks like she is looking for a job lol....apparently though if she hadnt passed too many gcse's she wouldve got full remission straight away - so, she worked too hard....

but - well done on your alevel results today hunny - passed em all too....good grades...proud of you...

thanks everyone for all their help...

magoogy

also am just wondering whether she will be able to still get a student bank account and an overdraft....would this be wise?

thanks

Oldernotwiser

magoogy wrote: »

well it seems there is different answers for whomever you speak to...have called student finance and she definitely not entitled so called student support at college and first was told she wouldnt get no fee remission even though her parents on disability......her fee would be £304 a year in 5 payments...but, if she was on benefits she would get it waived - but, tried to see if she entitled to any benefits but no - she can have the adult learners grant of £30 a week and thats it.....

called back to student support to double check and then was told she will get full fee remission with us being on disability........not sure what is true there....

so to recap - she might get full fee remission and will get £30 a week and thats it.....

looks like she is looking for a job lol....apparently though if she hadnt passed too many gcse's she wouldve got full remission straight away - so, she worked too hard....

but - well done on your alevel results today hunny - passed em all too....good grades...proud of you...

thanks everyone for all their help...

I'm sorry that you're getting different answers. As she's 19 she isn't eligible for free education anymore and any question of waiving fees is based on whether she herself gets any benefits rather than her parents. The number of GCSEs is also irrelevant here. GCSEs are a level 2 qualification and will only stop her being funded for another qualification at this level. As I said before, the BTEC art is a level 3 course and she won't have to pay fees unless she already has a level 3 qualification. The first person you spoke to in Student Support has given you the correct answers.

Most people in your daughter's situation will be working part time; the ALG allows them to do fewer hours to cope with their studies.

(Until the Level 3 Entitlement and ALG were introduced a few years ago she'd have had to pay her fees and receive no financial support. The current situation is a great improvement.)

Davesnave

Thanks for the answers on this thread, which I've just found via the Search.My daughter has just squeezed onto an Art & Design Foundation Course at the last minute after a gap year & had no info whatever about funding it.