1st degree self funded 15 yrs ago. Eligible for tuition fees loan for 2nd Degree?

TmTb

Hi, everyone,

I'm expecting to be made redundant early next year and in considering my options, I'm thinking about taking this opportunity to rethink/change my career. This will likely entail returning to Uni to undertake a second degree 15 years or so after obtaining my first.

This redundancy news has came as a bit of a surprise to me so I'm not as financially prepared as I would like to be. As a result, I'm currently exploring all possible financial assistance available to me at this time.

My question centres on the subject of tuition fees. The tuition fees, etc. for my first degree were paid for by a combination of myself and my then employer, i.e. no publically funded grants and student loans, etc..

Older threads on this forum seem to suggest I would be eligible as I have not been in receipt of any financial assistance for course fees, etc. previously. More recent threads thou seem to suggest that simply having undertaken a degree course previously, irrespective of whether it was self funded or otherwise would disqualify me this time around.

Apologies if this question has already been answered before but despite searching this forum for some time this evening, I've made little progress on this particular question.

Thanks in advance for all your help and assistance.

T

TmTb

Just in case this is significant. My first degree was part-time and taken over 4 years ending 1996.

Taiko

The fact you hold a degree would make you ineligible if it's an honours degree.

It's actually your attendance on a course that counts, not who funded it.

TmTb

Thanks Taiko for taking the time to clarify this issue for me.

I suspect the significance of the answer 'no' was blinding me to that obvious conclusion.

This is probably a very tenuous source of hope but I note your reference to 'if it's an honours degree'. As it happens, whilst the course offered an option of a fifth (honours) year, the pressure of studying whilst holding down a fairly pressured full-time job and along with a young family meant I didn't take up this option.

Therefore, my first degree was simply an ordinary BS degree. The second degree I would like to study will likely be a three year honours degree.

Would this new information be significant?

Thanks again, Taiko.

jayme1

I know someone who didnt finish their first degree but when they went back ~11 years later for another degree (a couple of years ago) they were not eligible for any help with their tuition fees, so since you situation is basically very similar and actually finished your first degree I very very much suspect you will not be able to get assistance.

also you have to think on what type of career change you are looking at and even if going to uni is a good idea and will actually help you for the expense.

Oldernotwiser

If you can't get funding , you could look at transferring your existing credits to the OU and just doing the units you need to top up to a degree.

What is your degree in and what do you want to do now?

Taiko

In that case, as you do not hold an honours degree, you would potentially be eligible for some support. It wouldn't be ELQ, as it's a higher qualification at the end of the course, and you're not ineligible due to holding an honours degree.

I have a feeling part-time courses are now being counted in the previous study qualification. Unfortunately, I'm no longer working in the field, and haven't assessed a new student since 2008. I therefore cannot give accurate advice on the regulations for this. However, I would suggest you read the definitions in The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2009, Paragraph 13.

TmTb

Hi Jayme1 and Oldernotwiser,

Thank you for your coments.

Jayme1, did your friend also fund themselves through uni when they attended first time?

My mistake seems to have been my initial assumption that as I hadn't received public funding, loan or otherwise during my first HE attendance, I would still be eligible this time. In effect, everyone had a funding allowance or entitlement for up to one full HE course that they could call upon if necessary. Something called the ELQ ruling seem to suggest this may not be the case.

Jayme1 & Oldernotwiser, my degree is in computer science. I've specialised in systems development and project management over the last 10 years or so. Some time ago I was providing technical and management support for a team of computer forensics professionals parachuted into the organisation to undertake a fairly large investigation. Since then, I've had a semi-amateurs interest in the field of cyber crime and computer forensics with an aspiration to move into the field some day.

Given the current economic conditions, I think the HE route is probably the most practical option for me. I have to admit, I'm still at the very early stage of exploring my options and my opinion may change as perhaps other routes become apparent.

At the moment, I'm exploring the full time HE route and financial support is one of my key concerns and why I'm currently trying to clarifying the financial support available. At least before I begin pursuing any particular course so as to avoid raising hopes should this turn out to be impractical at this time.

If the full-time, financially supported HE route is not possible, my next option would be to consider a part-time self funded HE route.

Does anyone have any experience with undertaking a simialr part-time HE course of study, self funded?

Oldernotwiser

If you do decide to look at the self funding part time route you could look at a postgraduate degree. The OU offers Computer Forensics as part of its Masters programme.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/course/m889.htm

It would be more expensive per module but possible less cost overall, for a higher level qualification.

You certainly don't need an Honours degree to study at this level with the OU and most other universities will accept your work experience as a "top up" to the fact that your degree is without honours.

TmTb

Hi Taiko & Oldernotwiser,

Taiko, thanks for the heads up about the 'previous study' and ELQ rules. Along with others on this board, this information has been very helpful in clarifying the situation for me.

Oldernotwiser, if self funding is my only viable option, a part-time postgraduate course does seem to offer greater value for money.

Whilst I'd be grateful for any further ideas and suggestions, thank you all for the time you've already given in helping me work through these issues.

TmTb

Just a brief update...

I've called the Student Funding England, SFE service a couple of times now and have come to the following consensus view based on the many and varied responses I've been given to the same question by call centre staff.

At either end of the answer scale, SFE would either decline funding for the first 4 years of any new honours degree course siting the fact that I had already benefited from 4 years of HE study (no funding!) or they would only fund the last year of study effectively the year which converts my current ordinary degree to a honours degree.

This seems to be counter to the 'previous study' rule as I understand it. For example, 'previous study' rules suggest the 4 years of the 5 year course I attended allows me a further 2 years of funding, i.e. 5 + 1 = 6 - 4 = 2 or in other words 2nd and final year.

Interestingly, one individual I spoke to did confess that they (call centre staff) are simply operating from their own SF bible which may not necessarily be the same bible the SF assessors will be using when reviewing my application.

In conclusion, it would seem the only thing I can do to get any form of clarity is to simply apply in January and wait a reply...

Does anyone else have a similar experience?