Keeping quiet about previous study to qualify for student loans

jasonmac

Maybe a strange question but here goes. Officially people with a degree don't qualify for any government loans to take another one, but how is that checked? Could someone with a distance learning degree (or one from overseas) just not mention it when asked?

I have an OU Open Degree, which I really enjoyed studying, but with hindsight I regret not taking a named degree. I haven't worked in a graduate-level job yet, and whenever I get an interview they ask about the subjects in my degree and why I chose such a mixture. Some interviewers have sounded really intrigued, but a couple made it pretty clear they thought I'd wasted my time. And impressed or not, in 3 years none of them have offered me a job with any prospects. I'm still only an admin assistant.

So I'd like to go back to uni, probably next September, and for the degree I want to do (Physics) I think doing actual lab work on a taught course is important. But there is no way I could study fulltime without a student loan.

I didn't claim any grants or loans during my first degree, and I was working the whole time. Leaving my degree out of my CV won't leave any gaps.

If you think it would be immoral, feel free to say so. I can't see any harm in it myself though, when I'd be paying back the loan and probably paying more income tax too, from a better job after I graduate.

Helix

I would have thought it was quite easy to check, I believe that all students get their qualifications reported to HESA. They would only have to check with HESA to see if you had a previous qualification.

I'm not sure if the students loan company does check with HESA but it would make sense for them to.

dizzyrascal

When you accepted your OU degree you agreed to have your name and qualifications added to a register of graduates (can't remember the name, sorry).
It is very easy for an institution to check this detail and I'm sure that it is something that comes up fairly frequently at the student loans company. I imagine that it would be checked for all applicants. Your LEA will also have a record.
You say you didn't get any loans for your OU study so did you pay for it all out of earned income or did you get your fees paid?
Either way, it would be fraud AND immoral!

Dunroamin

How long ago did you study with the OU?

Taiko

It's checked. Safeguards are in place. But why reveal exactly what? Attempt it, you'll be looking at prosecution for fraud when you are found out. Not if, when.

mountainofdebt

How long have the OU done named degrees?

I know when they first started, the OU only did 'open degrees' and are a relative new thing.

OP - given that you are getting interviews with your 'non-named' degree could it be your interview technique rather than your 'non-named' degree?

Minxz

I know people who have gone on to teach or get very good jobs with an Ou Open degree! A lot of employers like the faqct that it takes a lot of work studying around a job/family etc to gain an Ou qualification, and I doubt all those hardworking people would appreciate hearing how you feel it's not worth the bother.

Dunroamin

Minxz wrote: »

I know people who have gone on to teach or get very good jobs with an Ou Open degree! A lot of employers like the faqct that it takes a lot of work studying around a job/family etc to gain an Ou qualification, and I doubt all those hardworking people would appreciate hearing how you feel it's not worth the bother.

The OP didn't say that at all!

Serenity

No chance of doing a taught masters or conversion style masters?

Minxz

jasonmac wrote: »

I regret not taking a named degree. I haven't worked in a graduate-level job yet, ...they ask about the subjects in my degree and why I chose such a mixture... they thought I'd wasted my time. And impressed or not, in 3 years none of them have offered me a job with any prospects. I'm still only an admin assistant.

.

This tells me the OP thinks the Open degree isn't considered as 'good' as a named degree. i was stating that actually often it is.

Voyager2002

jasonmac wrote: »

I haven't worked in a graduate-level job yet, and whenever I get an interview they ask about the subjects in my degree and why I chose such a mixture. Some interviewers have sounded really intrigued, but a couple made it pretty clear they thought I'd wasted my time. And impressed or not, in 3 years none of them have offered me a job with any prospects. I'm still only an admin assistant.

It sounds as if you need to work on your interview technique. Above all, you need to be able to tell a convincing story about how the subjects in your degree fit together and provide a combination that is more powerful than the sum of the parts.

I suspect that unless you develop that kind of skill, another degree would not help you. To an employer it would just look like more aimless study.