A few questions regarding back to education:

crazy_gooner

Hi guys, 2 questions please as I'm afraid I may have messed up my finances for HE study.

I have bee accepted onto an access course to become a teacher and hope to go to university after in order to pursue my dream, but on my application for student finance I put down that my study was for 1 year and the course for what it was " Access to Education studies".

Is that okay so I can just add my uni course next year in an application? Or should I have put down 1 year or + 3/4 with Uni? As I'm away until next Wednesday so cannot call them until then.

Also, as stated in a previous thread I was made unemployed and put onto ESA due to a shoulder injury. After treatment I'm now feeling good. I was wondering would my studies for an Access course be free or paid for? The fee is £1500, and on my application I put £0 needed for a tuition loan.

So basically just wondering if I need to call and amend anything.

Thanks a lot.

flea72

you cant get funding for an Access Course - however if you have less than 5 level 2 qualifications, most colleges will be able to claim for the fees on your behalf

student finance applications are for when you start Uni

F

Dunroamin

An Access course isn't HE and you don't get funding for it. You apply direct to the college whereas you apply though UCAS for your degree.

Dunroamin

flea72 wrote: »

you cant get funding for an Access Course - however if you have less than 5 level 2 qualifications, most colleges will be able to claim for the fees on your behalf

student finance applications are for when you start Uni

F

Access courses are level 3 so level 2 qualifications are irrelevant unless you're a "jumper"..

crazy_gooner

Thanks guys. I left school 7 years ago and went straight into work and have been until a few months ago losing my job due to injury. I left school with just GCSE's.

So with no level 2 or 3 qualifications, am I right in believing my course would probably be free?

Also in terms of student finance, will I not even be eligible to receive a maintenance grant? If not, it will be virtually impossible to survive.

Thanks!

Dunroamin

Course fees for Access will depend on your local college but, unlike a degree course, there is no maintenance funding for a course at this level.

Have you looked at studying with the Open University? http://www.open.ac.uk/

You could start your degree this September, fee loans are available and you can carry on working so that maintenance funding isn't a problem. Studying part time like this will take only 2 years more than the traditional route and you'll end up over £20K less in debt.

crazy_gooner

Dunroamin wrote: »

Course fees for Access will depend on your local college but, unlike a degree course, there is no maintenance funding for a course at this level.

Have you looked at studying with the Open University? http://www.open.ac.uk/

You could start your degree this September, fee loans are available and you can carry on working so that maintenance funding isn't a problem. Studying part time like this will take only 2 years more than the traditional route and you'll end up over £20K less in debt.

Thanks for that at least I'm clear on what's what exactly. I also never looked into open uni but I will do.

Thank you very much.

flea72

Dunroamin wrote: »

Access courses are level 3 so level 2 qualifications are irrelevant unless you're a "jumper"..

since the OP was enquiring about funding, then yes level 2 qualifications are relevant, because if you hold more than 5 of them, you have to pay for your Access Course (even if on JSA/ESA), unless the college are prepared to subsidise the fees from their learning fund

crazy_gooner wrote: »

I left school 7 years ago, with no level 2 or 3 qualifications

since you are under 25 and have no Level 3 qualifications, then the course is free (other than small admin fee).

Most colleges have an adult learner fund, which is on a first come, first served basis. its usually a few hundred pounds, to help towards books.

other than that, most people still claim JSA whilst on the Access Course. Depending on how your local job centre view the Access Course and if your actual time in college is less than 16hrs a week (a letter from the college is usually proof enough), then you can still claim.

just stay on top of your job hunting, as you do have to prove you are 'actively' seeking work and stress to them that the Access Course will ultimately improve your long-term work situation (viewed similar to government funded back-to-work schemes)

F

crazy_gooner

flea72 wrote: »

since the OP was enquiring about funding, then yes level 2 qualifications are relevant, because if you hold more than 5 of them, you have to pay for your Access Course (even if on JSA/ESA), unless the college are prepared to subsidise the fees from their learning fund



since you are under 25 and have no Level 3 qualifications, then the course is free (other than small admin fee).

Most colleges have an adult learner fund, which is on a first come, first served basis. its usually a few hundred pounds, to help towards books.

other than that, most people still claim JSA whilst on the Access Course. Depending on how your local job centre view the Access Course and if your actual time in college is less than 16hrs a week (a letter from the college is usually proof enough), then you can still claim.

just stay on top of your job hunting, as you do have to prove you are 'actively' seeking work and stress to them that the Access Course will ultimately improve your long-term work situation (viewed similar to government funded back-to-work schemes)

F

Thanks!

Well once I switch from ESA to JSA in the next month, if I can claim whilst studying if a Job comes up and I refuse it what will happen? Would they just cancel my jsa or request money back?

For instance , I don't want to be 5 months in with exams approaching then be forced intowork.

Thanks.

flea72

crazy_gooner wrote: »

Thanks!

Well once I switch from ESA to JSA in the next month, if I can claim whilst studying if a Job comes up and I refuse it what will happen? Would they just cancel my jsa or request money back?

For instance , I don't want to be 5 months in with exams approaching then be forced intowork.

Thanks.

there are no exams on an Access Course, its continual assessment

why would a job come up? you apply, you interview, you dont get the job!

sorry, forgot that the entitlement to study and claim JSA is only for over 25s with 2yrs of claiming

however, your biggest obstacle is if you get put onto a work experience scheme as part of your JSA agreement. Being under 25, this is highly likely. Although try and push for a supermarket as they usually want their free staff during busy periods, so evenings and weekends (which would fit around your studies)

F

crazy_gooner

flea72 wrote: »

there are no exams on an Access Course, its continual assessment

why would a job come up? you apply, you interview, you dont get the job!

sorry, forgot that the entitlement to study and claim JSA is only for over 25s with 2yrs of claiming

however, your biggest obstacle is if you get put onto a work experience scheme as part of your JSA agreement. Being under 25, this is highly likely. Although try and push for a supermarket as they usually want their free staff during busy periods, so evenings and weekends (which would fit around your studies)

F

Hi, thanks again. So are you saying being under 25 JSA isn't a possibility alongside my course or that it is but a work experience course is probably likely to be placed on me? A bit laughable seen as I've worked for 7 years straight since leaving school.

Again, thanks!