Student loans for very mature students

davestretty

I'm expecting to lose my job shortly at age 58. If I can't find a job (i'm also disabled) I believe I get no beneifits after 6 months job seekers allowance. if I enrol for a first degree next year I believe I can get a full fees loan, a maintenance grant and a topup loan (i have a housewife and daughter dependants). As I get a (<20k) pension from 60 and will never work again Am I correct in thinking I will never have to pay back either student loan or grant. If so this is a result as I can retire, study and have some income all free. woopee a loophole to get round the no jobs market and benefit cuts thanks to this tory money pinching government. Gotcha toffboy Cameron and richgit Duncan-Smith!

Martin am I correct in my assumptions/ need to know before I commit

Wobblydeb

davestretty wrote: »

Martin am I correct in my assumptions/ need to know before I commit

Perhaps you should secure a place on a course first?

davestretty

Taiko replied: Not quite. When you get to 60, you won't be eligible for the maintenance loan or maintenance grant.

Taiko thanks for your reply. Are you sure that is the case? After visiting Directgov my interpretation of the entitlement to maintenance grant/loan is that as long as you commence the course before your 60th birthday you continue to be entitled throughout the course length. If this was not the case it would be impossible to continue after 60 for anyone without private funds (although this should not be unexpected form the rich tory gang in power) as everything they have done since the election favours the very well off over the "middle incomers". Also would this not contravene the age discrimination act? Once again I ask Martin to look into this for definitive advice as I couldn't possible start a degree course at 59 only to lose maintenance funding at 60.

davestretty

Wobbleydeb was that reply a little facetious and certainly not helpful.

This information is very important to me and to other prospective mature students, please take it seriously and don't let the thread die without a definitive answer.

The following is taken directly from the Direct.gov website.

Whether you've studied before
You’ll usually only be able to get student finance if you’re doing a first higher education qualification. In some cases, you can also get student finance if you’re ‘topping up’ a lower-level higher education qualification. For example, if you have a foundation degree, HNC or HND you may still qualify for student finance to study for an honours degree.
This will often mean financial help for the length of your course - plus, if necessary, one extra year to cover any false starts or transfers.
Your age
To qualify for a student loan to help with accommodation and living costs (called the Maintenance Loan), you need to be aged under 60 when you start your course.
There’s no upper age limit to qualify for grants or the Tuition Fee Loan.

Surely this means if you start before age 60 the entitlement continues to the end of the course.

MrsManda

davestretty wrote: »

Taiko thanks for your reply. Are you sure that is the case?

As far as I can tell, all Taiko has said is that you need to choose a degree, apply and be offered a place- just because the funding is available doesn't mean the degree place will be.

The general deadline for applying via UCAS was the 15th January for a September 2012 start though it is possible to put in an application up to the 30th June. Any applications after that will go to the Clearing process.
http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply/

dizzyrascal

I don't know if it will help with the timing but you are now able to ask for tuition fee loans and all the other loans when doing an OU course as long as it is at degree level form Sept 2012.
Now, it is only an idea, but it would be possible to sign up for 2 x level 1 x 60 credit courses which is the equivalent of full time study. You can then take your 120 credits to your local university and ask for credit transfer. This would allow you to start your second year a your local university. This would be a continuation of the course so might help with the timing if you can't get in locally from this Sept/Oct 2012.
This all assumes that you reach a good academic standard and that your OU choices are very similar to the modules offered at your local university. In other words, if you do History, the modules would have to have a very similar content.
Or, you could keep studying with the OU to get your degree. It can be a bit harder if you are not used to the level of study but if you are both doing it then there could be an advantage. If you no longer work then you could complete in 3 years as you would a traditional degree.

Wobblydeb

davestretty wrote: »

Wobbleydeb was that reply a little facetious and certainly not helpful.

This information is very important to me and to other prospective mature students, please take it seriously and don't let the thread die without a definitive answer.

Actually I thought it was a pertinent point that seemed to be missing in your thinking. You don't seem to have identified what you want to study and why - other than as a way of taking out debt that you don't need to repay. What if you do all this research, and then discover you need to do a foundation course or other (maybe unfunded) qualifications before getting an offer of a place?

marybelle01

Am I the only person that finds this thread distasteful? I think it is admirable when people who have always wanted the opportunity to study and have never been fortunate enough to be able to do it earlier in life return to education. And I also think that nobody is too old to learn and benefit from it. But all Davestretty seems to want to do is find a way of cheating the taxpayers and taking their money. I wonder if people would be quite so helpful if someone came on asking how best to cheat on a benefits claim?

heartbreak_star

This is the kind of thing that perpetuates a recession.

OP, if there's something your wife really wants to do, then go for it. If not...why take funding away from a future doctor/nurse/etc?

HBS x

davestretty

Mrs Manda - you misunderstood the reply by Taiko - it was purely to do with funding.

Dizzyrascal - thanks for relevant reply - worth looking into.

Wobblydeb and marybelle01- For your information I am grammar school educated to "A" level and worked all my life in scientific research and development (extremely under valued, under payed, and under funded - students beware!). I come from a very poor background and could not afford university even when it was "free". I am coming to the end of my working life and would like to experience university and continue my education - hope you don't mind too much.

I believe strongly that the state and an enlightened society should invest in education and that should be funded by the people who have already benefited from it i.e. free to students. Perhaps a graduate tax on all previous and future graduates would be a fair way to fund university education. I strongly object to Cameron et al enjoying private education and "free" university education (which, along with family wealth, got them where they are today) and now believing they shouldn't contribute to the education of the next generation of leaders. Although due to seriously deteriorating health I will soon not be able to work, I would still like to live a life. I do not wish to cheat the system take offence at your suggestion that that is the case. I believe I have the right to receive all that I am legally entitled to under the current system, do you object to that. That is all that I want but the complexities of the system make this very difficult to achieve without expert help. That is wrong.

BTW I am a taxpayer and have never been out of work since leaving school. I will also continue to pay tax on the small private pension I will receive on retirement (Much smaller than it would have been if Gordon Brown and subsequent chancellors had not raided it!)