Pay for uni, but don't attend lectures

tamarasahara

I am doing a 3 year degree at one of the london universities (e.g. Roehampton).

So in September, I am supposed to start my 3rd year, however, I may have to leave to go to america for family reasons quite soon after this and may end up staying there permanently (not definite). I would like to know if I only let the university know once I actually go, whether I can stay registered and complete the year anyway.

I know I can study by myself as have done OU courses before, and it is a lot cheaper than trying to transfer to an american university.

According to past students, all of the info is put up on the uni website and I can buy whatever books I need and will have the time to study. All assignments can be submitted online, and I can travel back for essential exams.

My questions are:

Would there be anything wrong with this?

If I was staying in UK I would apply for student finance, however that seems unethical, and would probably land me in trouble. I could probably sell something and pay for the year myself (@£3500) as I would only be paying for tuition, and wouldn't need any kind of support grants or anything.

My main aim is to be able to finish my degree, while still being there for my family.

I looked into OU courses, but to get my BSc, they would only let me transfer 150 points, when I have accumulated 240 already. This would mean another 2 years, as they only let you do 120 per year. Plus this would cost £10000 (£5000 per year) while finishing my current uni would cost around £3500.

I've looked at transferring to US unis, but the equivalent courses cover very different core subjects, and go into heavy maths which mine doesn't. The ones close to where I would be also cost upwards of $20000 per year tuition only, and they only let you graduate after 2 years of being with them.

Can anyone say whether they have been able to complete uni without actually attending lectures? And also whether I'm forgetting anything.

I did contact someone in my uni who said distance learning was not an option, but she was probably not the right person. Surely if I pay for the year, I would be entitled to attend or not attend.

I thank you for reading and really hope someone can shed some light.

copa_feela

For an attendance based course distance learning would usually only be granted in exceptional circumstances, such as where a student is too unwell to attend. What is the reason for you moving, is it essential?

Person_one

tamarasahara wrote: »

Surely if I pay for the year, I would be entitled to attend or not attend.

That's not how it works I'm afraid. Most university courses have attendance requirements. They want you to pass and it would be close to impossible to arrange extra support across an ocean if say you were struggling with your dissertation. Being in the right country and able to communicate in person with your fellow students could be absolutely essential depending on your course, are there no seminars or other group sessions?

You pay, but you also agree to their terms and you make a commitment to participate.

If its at all possible, wait a year to move abroad.

tripled

I'll probably get shot down in flames for this advice, but here goes...

I don't know your reasons for you having to support your family. If they can do without you for exam periods, can they not do without you for a little bit longer? Could you not take a couple of weeks to help them settle then come back, and go over there during breaks and maybe the odd week here and there?

Assuming for whatever reason you have to be out there as much as you can, I think you'll be looking at what you can get away with. You say you are moving overseas "soon after" but can get back for exams - if you could avoid moving overseas until the Christmas recess and then come back after a month for the January examination period, you will have missed very little and only have one semester to go!

If you keep in contact with your tutors and can come back after the Easter ressess for a few (6 to 8) weeks for the end of the second semester and the exams, you might get away with it depending on how strict your uni is. No guarantee, but that's probably your best chance. You'd need to be prepared though if they say turn up or else to come back early - and if you can do that case you should be thinking if you really need to be over there all the time after all.

If you can do the above, take the student loan, never mind the ethics, as long as you have a permanant address in the UK (presumably where you'll be staying), and someone who will get on the blower to you if the uni send you a nasty letter.

However if it really is a case of you will be there for the first two weeks and then only for exams, you'll almost certainly be out of luck and should really plan an alternative strategy.

Perhaps you could give some more information, like why you have to be away, if there are certain times you need to be away, what's the maximum length of time you can get back for and how often, etc, people could give better advice.

duchy

At most uni's including Roehampton if you don't turn up for X percentage of lectures and especially tutorials you can be removed from the course -don't know the exact figure but I know I got close as my Mum had a brain anurism just after I started the second year of my degree there and I spent a lot more time at Atkinson Morely ITU than I did in lectures at Digby Stuart ! I suspect I got given a lot of leeway for attendence because of the circumstances-so I'd guess it would depend on your reasons. Would it make more sense to defer your final year until you know which country you'll actually be in ? If you are going to be spending most of the year in the US you may find it changes your residency status and therefore you may not have home student status and be expected to pay overseas student fees. As you've named the Uni it's probably not impossible for Roehampton to identify you from the info you've given now anyway so probably best to go to the administration and ask their advice.

As for the advice to take a student loan and spend the year in the US ......frankly that's not what student loans are for -as a US resident you won't be entitled to a student loan and should be paying the higher fees-plus if you take a place and don't attend you will be depriving a genuine home student of a university place.

agrinnall

If you absolutely must go to America I would suggest that you try to find the right person to discuss distance leaning with. I don't know what the situation is with undergraduate courses but the postgraduate course I completed last year now has more people studying by distance learning than attending full time and the proportion is expected to grow further over the next few years.

tamarasahara

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice. I'm very cautious about giving my reasons as it will id me to anyone who may know me.

Suffice to say, there are strong compelling family reasons, but it's not illness.

This is basically the policy of the university - a few words have been changed but the meaning is the same.

"If a student can't attend because of illness or for other reasons (eg. personal circumstances, family responsibilities etc.) that student must notify the relevant office, normally the Faculty/Student Office, which holds their student file. If the student's absence is immediately prior to or during a period of assessment and it is believed that it has had a detrimental effect on their performance, it will only be brought to the attention of an examination board if the student has followed the University’s Mitigating Circumstances and Student Assessment Procedures which are published on (myUniversityWebsite)"

My reason would be family responsibilities I suppose. I've seen other university policies, ( US unis) where they say more than 20% absence will get you kicked off without a very good reason, but this seems to be it from my uni. When I was in year 1, quite a few people didn't turn up for classes, but they still came to exams.

I know that you have to satisfy strict residency rules to qualify for student finance, but there doesn't seem to be any rule about moving abroad during your period of study - especially if you are paying yourself. I would be resident here when I register, but then if I have to move subsequently, as the fees are paid upfront, I don't think this would be wrong.

I am trying to find out about deferring, but this puts me in a less employable state in the US if the move is permanent, and also if it is permanent, then transferring to a US or OU course is very expensive and I will have to do a lot more study.

I realise that you can't help without much more detail, but you have given me a good idea of how it will come across. Any more opinions would be welcome.

tamarasahara

duchy wrote: »

At most uni's including Roehampton if you don't turn up for X percentage of lectures and especially tutorials you can be removed from the course -don't know the exact figure but I know I got close as my Mum had a brain anurism just after I started the second year of my degree there and I spent a lot more time at Atkinson Morely ITU than I did in lectures at Digby Stuart ! I suspect I got given a lot of leeway for attendence because of the circumstances-so I'd guess it would depend on your reasons. Would it make more sense to defer your final year until you know which country you'll actually be in ? If you are going to be spending most of the year in the US you may find it changes your residency status and therefore you may not have home student status and be expected to pay overseas student fees. As you've named the Uni it's probably not impossible for Roehampton to identify you from the info you've given now anyway so probably best to go to the administration and ask their advice.

As for the advice to take a student loan and spend the year in the US ......frankly that's not what student loans are for -as a US resident you won't be entitled to a student loan and should be paying the higher fees-plus if you take a place and don't attend you will be depriving a genuine home student of a university place.

Hi Duchy, I hope your Mum is ok now.

I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know how much %wise you missed in lectures, and how did you make it up at exams? Did you complete work set and submit online?

I'm not actually at Roehampton, I'm at a uni elsewhere in London, but am being very cagey, sorry.

Also, I definitely wouldn't apply for SF, but would pay myself as don't want to do anything illegal. i.e. even if it falls foul of the uni policy, it's certainly not illegal to move country.

tamarasahara

tripled wrote: »

I'll probably get shot down in flames for this advice, but here goes...

I don't know your reasons for you having to support your family. If they can do without you for exam periods, can they not do without you for a little bit longer? Could you not take a couple of weeks to help them settle then come back, and go over there during breaks and maybe the odd week here and there?

no, there are children involved

Assuming for whatever reason you have to be out there as much as you can, I think you'll be looking at what you can get away with. You say you are moving overseas "soon after" but can get back for exams - if you could avoid moving overseas until the Christmas recess and then come back after a month for the January examination period, you will have missed very little and only have one semester to go!

If you keep in contact with your tutors and can come back after the Easter ressess for a few (6 to 8) weeks for the end of the second semester and the exams, you might get away with it depending on how strict your uni is. No guarantee, but that's probably your best chance. You'd need to be prepared though if they say turn up or else to come back early - and if you can do that case you should be thinking if you really need to be over there all the time after all.

there may be some leeway for that, but because there are children involved, I can't stay away for more than the minimum required to do exams (plus a day either way for travel delays).

However if it really is a case of you will be there for the first two weeks and then only for exams, you'll almost certainly be out of luck and should really plan an alternative strategy.

Perhaps you could give some more information, like why you have to be away, if there are certain times you need to be away, what's the maximum length of time you can get back for and how often, etc, people could give better advice.

It's a really difficult situation, and am feeling very torn about it. Thanks for your advice tho.

Oldernotwiser

Why will the OU only allow you to transfer 150 points when you have completed 2 years' study?

Will they allow you the full 240 points if you do an open degree and would this be suitable for any career you're planning to follow in the US?

Transferring to the OU or other distance learning provider (have you checked with anywhere other than the OU?) would be far the simplest course of action.

tamarasahara

I can either get a BSc or an open degree. I'm in a technical field, so a BSc would be much better.

Yes, if I get an open degree I would be able to carry all 240 points. I suppose I could do that, but I'm very unwilling as it seems like a downgrade

I don't know of any other distance learning unis. Do you have suggestions?