Student finance after previous study

bestpud

I'm confused! :undecided

I realise there is basically 4 years funding available dah de dah.

But, can people who have used all their funding but have not graduated still get the maintenance loan for future courses, or is it only people who are eligible to have some of their course funded?

I know I can receive part time funding but I'm looking into full time as well.

I've completed the equivalent of a HND (2 full years) and the new course is a FdSc if that makes any difference...

I've had three years full time funding and one years part time funding (50%) plus I have done one semester part time but self funded.

I don't need money to live on so the maintenance loan would be enough for me to consider full time study. I can't afford the fees otherwise.

It's never easy where I'm concerned! :rotfl:

MrsManda

Are you topping up your HND to a full degree or starting again?

bestpud

Starting again.

Oldernotwiser

I'm sorry - I don't know the answer to this which is why I didn't comment when you told me.

Taiko

And I want to read the ELQ rules, as they're something I don't have to work with as we don't have to do general eligibilty now.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm sorry - I don't know the answer to this which is why I didn't comment when you told me.

No worries - I hadn't actually considered full time study at that point tbh.

At the interview it seemed I'd get a bit more out of the course if I started and finished with the same group so I started looking into it then but tied myself up on knots!

Taiko - as I understand it, the ELQ rules would allow someone to do a second degree in some areas (inc foundation degrees) without paying the non-subsidised tuition fees...

Is there more to it than that?

bestpud

Another thought, if it makes a difference:

My uni are not charging students who already have a degree extra this year - I was told it is because of the recession...

bestpud

For anyone else in this situation, it appears there is absolutely no student support for the two FdSc years as I already have the equivalent of a HND (previous funding makes no difference). However, it is exempt from ELQ rules so I will only pay the normal fee rate and I am eligible for the bursary from my uni. Oh, and the Access to Learning Fund is still available for financial difficulties.

However, for the top up year, if I do it, I should be able to access the maintenance loan as my qualification is lower, but no tuition fee loan as I've exhausted my student funding.

Hope that helps someone as it's a bit of a nightmare and I've spent several days trying to access this information!

This is for full time study btw.

Not great news but at least I know where I am now!

Now to try and raise the money! :eek:

Taiko

It's exactly what I was about to post about the FD. However, you are entitled to the fee loan and potentially maintenance grant for the top-up. Top-ups are worked out as follows:

(A) Number if years required to top-up
(B) Standard Length of the course being topped up - 2 years for you
(C) Length of time spent on the course being topped up - Hopefully 2 years, but add on any repeats you may do on this course.

To calculate fee entitlement for the top-up, the formula used is (X + Y) - C where:

X = A or 3, whichever is greater
Y = 1 if B is less than 3. If B = 3, then Y = 2.

The above is covered within Paragraph 23 of The Student Support Regulations.

bestpud

Taiko wrote: »

It's exactly what I was about to post about the FD. However, you are entitled to the fee loan and potentially maintenance grant for the top-up. Top-ups are worked out as follows:

(A) Number if years required to top-up
(B) Standard Length of the course being topped up - 2 years for you
(C) Length of time spent on the course being topped up - Hopefully 2 years, but add on any repeats you may do on this course.

To calculate fee entitlement for the top-up, the formula used is (X + Y) - C where:

X = A or 3, whichever is greater
Y = 1 if B is less than 3. If B = 3, then Y = 2.

The above is covered within Paragraph 23 of The Student Support Regulations.

That would be fab news but can I double check what that all means please?

The top up is one year so is it:

[3 (as it is greater than 1) + 0 (as FdSc is two years)] - 2 (assuming no repeats) = 1 year funding

Is that regardless of compelling reasons for previous study - so I could avoid the hassle of applying for that?

So I'd be ok so long as I don't have to repeat anything?

If that is correct, I could kiss you!! :j

ETA: Surely previous funding comes into play somewhere?

Taiko

It would be 3 + 1 - 2. The previous funding doesn't come into it at all on the top-up.

The regulations have the calculation worded a bit different to the working sheet I made, but read as follows:

2) Where the current course begins on or after 1st September 2009, this regulation applies to–
(a) a current system student who is on an end-on course of the kind described in paragraph (d) of the definition of “end-on course” in regulation 2;
(b) a current system student who—
(i) has completed a full-time, part-time, full-time distance learning or compressed degree course and achieved a lower level qualification;
(ii) is on a full-time first degree course (other than a first degree course for the initial training of teachers) that the student did not begin immediately after the course referred to in paragraph (i); and
(iii) has not taken a full-time first degree course after the course referred to in paragraph (i) and before the current course.
(3) Regulations 21 and 22 do not apply to students to whom this regulation applies.
(4) The standard entitlement of a student to whom paragraph (1) applies is calculated as follows—

• where
• D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
• X is 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years and 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years
• PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

(5) The standard entitlement of a student to whom paragraph (2) applies is calculated as follows–-

• where
• D is the greater of 3 and the number of academic years that make up the ordinary duration of the course
• X is –
• 1 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was less than three years,
• 2 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was three years,
• 3 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was four years,
• 4 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was five years, and
• 5 where the ordinary duration of the preliminary course was six years
• PrC is the number of academic years that the student spent on the preliminary course excluding any years of repeat study for compelling personal reasons.

Paragraph 2(13) of the regs state:

(13) Where the current course is an end-on course, the specified designated course is the course in relation to which the current course is an end-on course (the “preceding course”). Where the preceding course is itself an end-on course, the specified designated course is the course in relation to which the preceding course is an end-on course.

Basically though, and in plain english, you'll be entitled to support for the top-up year, regardless of CPR.

Hope that helps. I prefer chocolates though, as they don't get me in trouble!