Help for 1st year fail student?

mttylad

Hello, can you knowledgeable folks please advise.

My son has just finished his first year at Leeds Met.

He failed his course on 3 modules out of about 8.

He had already signed up for a flatshare and is contracted into that until July 2011.

The Uni has said that he cannot do year two and must redo the three modules for year one again. These can only be done throughout the year as they are done with the rest of the new year one students.

The Uni will not let him resit the complete year as they say he has not failed by more than 50% and have been going on about "regulation 5" (I think it was that) ?

Student finance have said that he can redo year one and get full loans etc for it (yet the uni will not let him???).

What we would like to know is what kind of financial help he can get?
Calls to student finance have been unclear as some say he will get full grants/loans some say not.

Obviously if he is only doing a partial course then his course fees should be less and so he should get less of a grant towards them.

Will he still be entitled to loans, especially one for a full years accommodation etc?

My wife is pulling her hair out & bending my ear. your advice would be appreciated.

olibrofiz

I work at a Uni. All a bit complicated these rules & regs, and, I think, slightly different per uni. If ours pass 40credits or more they can't repeat the whole year.

With us, they can be what we call 'split level' and do a combination of 1st & 2nd year modules - as long as they are studying over 100 credits this is full time status (full time is 120), and they get funding (if they qualify). This is also dependent on timetables & pre-reqs. Got brain ache sorting my lot out at the mo!

It may be that you'll have to help him out a little more financially (our part time students don't get exemption from council tax for example).

Keep talking to the SLC

Simon11

Has there been any reasons for him to struggle in his 1st yr? If he was struggling to pass, then maybe the course isn't suitable and too hard?

First Yrs don't count for anything and are the easiest year by far

mttylad

He had an eye infection for one, for another he handed it all in but part of it was lost.

Mankysteve

Regulation 5 ? I resat an entire year after failing two credit modules. As the loan amounts are better. But i suggests you son takes a serious look at what hes studying and whever its really for him. My worse mistake was resitting a year should have got out of there straight away. Resat failed again as i had nolonger any intrest in the subject.

Much happier on new degree, I'm lucky as I'm still on the old fee's system so it adorable he wont be be so lucky if he fails a second time.

Mobility151990

Failed 1st year (with 40% pass marks).........no comment.

robpw2

Mobility151990 wrote: »

Failed 1st year (with 40% pass marks).........no comment.

probably for the best , as you do not know the circumstances

mttylad

I's not that the course is too difficult - its only Music technology.

I think the culture of "you need to get your finger out & buckle down" didnt quite hit him then - it has now.

MrsManda

Simon11 wrote: »

First Yrs don't count for anything and are the easiest year by far

Not necessarily. My first year counts towards my final degree and many students find their first year the harder than their second year as they find it difficult to make the transition from A-levels to university.


To the OP.
As olibrofiz said, the regulations with regards to repeats are different for each university and can also depend on the particular course so the chances are the regulation you are referring to has more to do with the university than the SLC.

Will your son be attending all of the lectures/doing all the coursework for the modules he failed i.e. doing them completely or is he just redoing the bits of the modules he failed?

As he won't be doing a complete year could he not get a job?
Has he looked at his contract for his house to see if he can pull out and move home?
It may be worth him talking to the housing officer at his university union for advice.

What is his status at university going to be? My university has a number of different ways of classifying students who are repeating depending on their circumstances and this has bearing on the fees they have to pay and whether they are entitled to financial support.

ThinkingOfLinking

mttylad wrote: »

I's not that the course is too difficult - its only Music technology.

I think the culture of "you need to get your finger out & buckle down" didnt quite hit him then - it has now.

It can be quite difficult; especially if you're going into it with no prior experience as I have done; I'm doing a degree in Music and audio production myself at the moment!!

But I do appreciate what you said about the getting his finger out and buckling down bit.:p

Mobility151990

robpw2 wrote: »

probably for the best , as you do not know the circumstances

*slap for you*