question about student loans and second degrees

dag_2

I'm confused.

Back in the days when there used to be student grants, you could get a loan no matter how many loans you'd had in the past - but you could only get a grant first time round.

Then they abolished the grant and replaced it with a bigger loan - but you can still get a loan, no matter how many loans or grants you've had in the past.

Now the govt want to charge tuition fees to student loans.

Does this mean that a graduate returner will get exactly the same assistance as an 18-year old school leaver? If not, what's different? Thanks.

stuwilky

I'm confused.

Back in the days when there used to be student grants, you could get a loan no matter how many loans you'd had in the past - but you could only get a grant first time round.

Then they abolished the grant and replaced it with a bigger loan - but you can still get a loan, no matter how many loans or grants you've had in the past.

Now the govt want to charge tuition fees to student loans.

Does this mean that a graduate returner will get exactly the same assistance as an 18-year old school leaver? If not, what's different? Thanks.

It really depends on your individual circumstances, there is loads of different grants/loans deisgned to assist those of us who are slightly older!

If you contact your county council they have a booklet outlining what is available and the eligibility criteria, its actually very helpful. It might be available online, although Im not sure.

dag_2

If you contact your county council they have a booklet outlining what is available and the eligibility criteria, its actually very helpful.

Maybe your county council is different to mine then - because an outline is all I've had so far. Details such as second degrees tend to be brushed over.

Perhaps I should say - if I am going back to college, it's not going to be before 2006.

The rules seem to keep changing too.

I understand student loans. The thing that's most difficult to get information about is tuition fees.

I'm also worried about the possibility that some courses or institutions might be more expensive than others. I'd like to know about this sort of thing before applying. Would I have to pay any tuition fees upfront? I have a £30k credit line, but I owe £9k already - so upfront tuition fee payments are not out of the question.

stuwilky

If you wont be starting until 2006 there will be no up front charges to pay. Theoretically there will be variable charges across courses or institutions, however in practice it is likely that all HEI's will charge £3k per year per course. This fee is added to your student loan amount.

The brochure I referred to earlier is published by the DFES and is very helpful, however is only valid for the current academic year (the 2005 entry one will be available soon)

There are still GRANTS available for certain types of student, and mature ones especially.

dag_2

If you wont be starting until 2006 there will be no up front charges to pay. Theoretically there will be variable charges across courses or institutions, however in practice it is likely that all HEI's will charge £3k per year per course. This fee is added to your student loan amount.

Fantastic, thanks.

I read somewhere that if you've already had tuition fee funding from your local education authority, you can't get it again. So if you did a privately sponsored university degree, that's okay, you can get LEA funding for your second degree as if it was your first. But you can't get LEA funding for two degrees.

But your eligibility for student loans is not affected by your eligibility for LEA fee assistance. You can get student loans for second degrees.

So I'm thinking - how much are these fees likely to be?

I've noticed that institutions list two sets of tuition fees - one for UK/EU students, and another for international students. The international student fees tend to be a lot higher.

I'm guessing now, but I think the Department for Education and Skills subsidises the fees of all qualifying degrees for UK and EU students - including those who pay their own tuition fees, or who have done more than one degree. The UK/EU fee is what the LEA pays if it's your first degree and you qualify for assistance, and what you pay if it's your second degree. The difference between the UK/EU fee and the international fee is what the DfES pays, regardless of how many degrees you've already done.

Point is - you shouldn't have to pay international student rates, even if you've been to university before. But I might be wrong on that. So it worries me.

UK/EU rates tend to be around £3k, whereas international student rates are around £10k. It makes a big difference.

I'd really appreciate it if someone could check if I've got this right, and clarify anything I've got wrong - thanks.

stuwilky

Almost right, but not entirely.

The government stump out considerable amount of money for every student even those who claim to pay "full fees" - at most that is around a quarter of what Universities receive.

Even under the new funding arrangements their funding will remain the same, its aimed to give HEI's more money to invest in facilities, staff and research etc.

Dont read to much into the current fees system if you arent going to be starting until 2006. There are huge changes underway which should be revealed sometime during summer 2005.

keef_2

So it basically looks like you will have to pay your own fees. Top-up fees (unless i've got mixed up over the xmas period) don't start until 2006-07 entrants which it appears you will be.

There is however, what i would call a "loophole" you can use. Any student who applies about now for deferred entry will be protected from having to pay top up fees and will have a maximum fee of around £1250.

The fee would still, as with top up fees, be repaid from future earnings just like the Student Loan