Help With Student Loans - HERE!

meer53

InDebted2U wrote: »

Can you tell me if I can get a student loan for an undergraduate degree if I already have a basic degree (no honours)? I've been hunting everywhere for a definitive answer to this.

As Slcworker hasn't been on the forum since 2006 you'd be better off calling SLC.

Savvy_Sue

InDebted2U wrote: »

Can you tell me if I can get a student loan for an undergraduate degree if I already have a basic degree (no honours)? I've been hunting everywhere for a definitive answer to this.

I am really not sure how definitive you need it to be but ... gov.uk says:

You’ve studied before
You’ll usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first higher education qualification - even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances.

So, you already have an HE qualification.

If you already have a degree
You may get limited funding if:

you’re ‘topping up’ a higher education qualification, for example you’ve finished an HNC, HND or Foundation Degree and now want to do an Honours degree
you hold an Honours degree or higher level of qualification and start a part-time Honours degree in engineering, technology or computer science (or a joint Honours in 2 of these subjects)
You may also get limited funding if you’re starting a healthcare course on or after 1 August 2017.


Now, there's a few 'usuallys' in there, so you may be thinking 'that means I might' ... but ...

Was your first degree a 'foundation' degree - ie there was no chance to take it at honours level? If yes, then you might get another year's funding. So if you only need to do a further topup year, happy days. Probably.

BUT ... if you need to study for a further 3 - 4 years to get a completely new degree, you MIGHT get one year's funding for the final year, but highly unlikely for the earlier years.

The only place to get a definitive answer is from Student Finance.

kateld

I have 2 kids at uni, single mum with income around £35k. I have recently met a new partner and we are talking about living together in the next few months. Could you please help me to know whether his income will be counted from day 1 when he moves in? it would mean we couldn't afford to live together which seems so harsh! I cannot expect him to pay for kids he only met on their twenties!! many thanks

silvercar

kateld wrote: »

I have 2 kids at uni, single mum with income around £35k. I have recently met a new partner and we are talking about living together in the next few months. Could you please help me to know whether his income will be counted from day 1 when he moves in? it would mean we couldn't afford to live together which seems so harsh! I cannot expect him to pay for kids he only met on their twenties!! many thanks

Yes it would. I'm not sure if it would count for the academic year 2019-2020, but it would definitely be counted for the following year.

Martin Lewis addressed this on his programme on student loans. Even though loans are assessed on previous years income and this could even be before you and he were together, household income includes everyone in the student's household.

[Deleted User]

kateld wrote: »

I have 2 kids at uni, single mum with income around £35k. I have recently met a new partner and we are talking about living together in the next few months. Could you please help me to know whether his income will be counted from day 1 when he moves in? it would mean we couldn't afford to live together which seems so harsh! I cannot expect him to pay for kids he only met on their twenties!! many thanks

He isn't expected to fund your kids, just have his income taken into account to decide their funding from government. How you make up that funding if it's not enough Is up to you. You could pay alone or tell them to get part time jobs.

Michael_Warton

Hi,

I dropped out of college to do an apprenticeship few years ago. I completed the apprenticeship but am now considering going to uni. obviously I don't have the support from college to help me through the process. Can you recommend any reliable resources for me to read to figure it out, thanks.
(I know this is a student loans thread but resources for anything to do with getting into university (with a level 3 apprenticeship) would be really helpful.

[Deleted User]

https://www.ucas.com/what-are-my-options/thinking-about-uni

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/preparing-to-go

TheGardener

Struggling to find an answer to this...
I do not have a degree. I am a mature (very ) student. I have applied to a uni to do a 3 year degree, I hoped to do an integrated masters in year 4. I have received an 'unconditional' offer. However, the offer I have been given includes a foundation year (didn't really want that but that's what they offered). This means 5 years not 4 if I want a masters.

I will be 58 y.o. a few days before the start of the course.
I understand that I have to be under the age of 60 on the 1st day of the first year of the course to be eligible for the maintenance loan which means the 4 years would be covered but - would the masters be classed as a 'new' degree ?

The young (very ) lady at SFE couldn't give me an answer

silvercar

My understanding is that integrated masters are one 4 year degree, I'm not sure that you even get awarded the bachelor degree after 3 years.

I'd be more wary of whether the foundation year is a separate course that leads on to the main degree course.

Be very careful on dates, I did read that student finance take the 1 September as the age point, rather than the first day of the course.

TheGardener

Spoke to SFE again this morning and it seems the foundation + 4 year integrated masters is the way to go and the funding would continue as it would be classed as a continuous programme. Even if the foundation were sperate - I'd still fall into the 'under 60' group at the point the 4 yr BA/Masters started.
Took a bit of head scratching at SFE but they concurred that I should take that option rather than 1yr foundation +3yr BA +1 Masters as Masters in this scenario would be a 'new' course and I would be too old to get the post grad funding.

If SFE take 1st of Sept then that is actually better for me as I'd only be 57 then!