returning to uni, can i still get student loans?

kimstoke85

hi can anyone help?

i am thinking of returning to uni next yr and weighing up options. i dropped out of my last course in the 3rd year and didnt complete, i have student loans debt and currently not repaying because my income is too low, will this debt affect my entitlement to more student loans if i decide to go bk x

Lokolo

You have had 3 years entitlement therefore it depends on what course you go on. If your new course is 3 years you have 1 years entitlement left.

As the student loans system works backwards you will have to fund tuition fees for your first and second year (in the case of a 3 year course).

Person_one

What's changed? Why will uni be right for you this time when it wasn't before?

Oldernotwiser

As you already have 2 years' successful study under your belt, why not top these up to a full degree with further study at the OU?

b0untyhunter

im in the same boat myself

had to give up previous degree 10 yrs ago due to health reasons.
this yr with my doctors blessing ive been offered a place on a degree course (different to original choice)

i also have no idea what the funding will be like - ive heard both positive and negative things
but i was told by one person that the student loans company will look at individual cases and have the ability to make decisions to allow a 2nd set of funding under some circumstances.

erdd2

b0untyhunter wrote: »

im in the same boat myself

had to give up previous degree 10 yrs ago due to health reasons.
this yr with my doctors blessing ive been offered a place on a degree course (different to original choice)

i also have no idea what the funding will be like - ive heard both positive and negative things
but i was told by one person that the student loans company will look at individual cases and have the ability to make decisions to allow a 2nd set of funding under some circumstances.

I was advised that there is no window for individual circumstances...I am not claiming this as gospel....I am interested in fact...keep us posted please.

bestpud

kimstoke85 wrote: »

hi can anyone help?

i am thinking of returning to uni next yr and weighing up options. i dropped out of my last course in the 3rd year and didnt complete, i have student loans debt and currently not repaying because my income is too low, will this debt affect my entitlement to more student loans if i decide to go bk x

You may be able to obtain an extra year of funding if you can provide evidence of compelling personal reasons for dropping out of your first course. Why did you drop out?

Otherwise you have one year of funding left, as said. The extra year would probably leave you having to fund your first year yourself.

Are you going for the same degree? Is there any chance you can start from the second year?

Your previous funding won't count if you study for an OU degree though. You can transfer your credits, as already mentioned.

The OU funding is about to change so you may need to start looking now if you want to follow that route -
you need to start a course in October (I believe) to qualify as a current student when the rules change.

Saying all that, what degree are you looking to do? Some have different funding - certain NHS ones, for example.

bestpud

b0untyhunter wrote: »

im in the same boat myself

had to give up previous degree 10 yrs ago due to health reasons.
this yr with my doctors blessing ive been offered a place on a degree course (different to original choice)

i also have no idea what the funding will be like - ive heard both positive and negative things
but i was told by one person that the student loans company will look at individual cases and have the ability to make decisions to allow a 2nd set of funding under some circumstances.

As far as I am aware, you can only receive one year of extra funding for compelling personal reasons, so it depends how much funding you have already received. Everyone one allowed an extra year for false starts and retakes.

lee1985

bestpud wrote: »

As far as I am aware, you can only receive one year of extra funding for compelling personal reasons, so it depends how much funding you have already received. Everyone one allowed an extra year for false starts and retakes.

I think this may be incorrect in part.

You can only receive one year for each CPR case yes, but I'm sure I've seen a post by Taiko before that states CPR can be given for as many years as is necessary to give. But each year does need substantial evidence and it is very rare that it is given for more than one year.

I'm sure he will correct me if I am wrong.

bestpud

lee1985 wrote: »

I think this may be incorrect in part.

You can only receive one year for each CPR case yes, but I'm sure I've seen a post by Taiko before that states CPR can be given for as many years as is necessary to give. But each year does need substantial evidence and it is very rare that it is given for more than one year.

I'm sure he will correct me if I am wrong.

You may well be right - I don't recall any posts like that but then I don't spend too much time in this board.

I'll be interested to see what Taiko says.

MrsManda

I used two years of funding as I repeated my 1st year but had to drop out due to CPRs. When I applied for student finance 4 years later for a new degree my previous funding was completely discounted.
But I had to provide evidence of my CPRs from my first degree (medical letters from that period plus the letter I received from the LEA which said that they'd allowed me to claim CPRs for the 2 years of funding) and also a letter from my former university to say that I had kept them fully informed during my CPRs and that I had withdrawn from the course via the correct channels.

I was fortunate because I had kept this information and had built up a good relationship with my personal tutor and admissions tutor while at my first university so the evidence was easy to come by.