loans for open university courses??????

smkelb

Hi i was wondering if anyone might know the answer to this,
i was doing a psychology degree at a uni and completed almost 2 years when i had to drop out due to personal circumstances,this was in 2004.
i got a student loan and single parent grant for those two years.
For this study i recieved a certif of higher education as i didn't complete two of the four, end of year exams.(year 2)
I am now looking to carry over my credits and complete the degree via the open university but im not sure how it works with fee's and such.
Am i entitled to a further loan to cover it?being a single parent on benefit will i get my fee's paid and a grant, or nothing at all because its not actually a university per se?
Also would a psychology degree count as vocational so getting the career development loan?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

chugalug

Hi. As far as I know OU degrees are classed as p/t so you would be able to claim the £500 from the SLC to help with the cost of this. The OU used to do their own funding for students who need help paying the cost of the courses but I dont know if they still do this. As far as I know all universities have some sort of hardship fund so maybe this is it. You need to apply really early though as these funds go quickly. I also think that OU is classed as a university and a degree for whatever subject qualifies for career development loans. All banks have their own criteria for administering these. So I would check with the SLC and the OU first and go from there. Also dont forget that as a single parent on a p/t course you are still entitled to benefits ie IS, WTC, CTC, HB, CTB so a visit to your local CAB might also help. I know the £500 doesnt affect your benefits but a career development loan might. Good luck.

Minxz

Helo!
i am a single parent too, and have just started studying with the OU. If you go to their web site and call the info number, they will be able to send you a financial pack, which once filled in, they tell you if you are eligible for any discounts on the courses. You can transfer points from another course to Ou too. They are V friendly and helpful on the phone, and will be able to help.
If you are recieveing either housing benefit, or council tax benefit you will get a reduction in costs, usually the whole year course paid for you! Good isn't it!!
I had no idea till I applied, and was dreading the costs, but as i get Hbenefit( albeit a small amount) I qualified for the full discount.
Hope that helps )

Katgoddess

If you are in a work union it might be worth checking if they do grants.

USDAW give you 65 quid for a 30 point course, and 130 quid for a 60 point course. Not much but its a third of the cost of the course, and gives you a profit from your union fees.

chardonnay_2

thanks for the info re help with study. my fiance has wanted to do this but i didn't realise we could get help with the costs - cheers