Single mum....Financial help? - OU degree?

thatlemming

Is there no local university you could go to? If you went to a brick uni (rather than the OU) you'd get childcare grants, maintenance loan, maintenance grant and other stuff for being a parent.

emmafifema

Well the problem I have at the moment is that I am still not fit for work after having my spinal fusion surgery and even when I am I will have to begin to seek work I won't be able to walk straight into a job as I am untrained to do anything else other than childcare.
I have just looked at Central sussex website which is my local college and there is a full time business admin diploma course I could do there but with it being a college and not a university will I still get funding/grant/student loan??

debrag

dizzyrascal wrote: »

Yes the degree and OU courses are classed as part-time so you cannot get any maintenance from SFE.
They are designed to be taken along side working.
The OU may not let you take 120 module credits per year (as you would in a traditional university). They may stretch it to 90 but they will look at your circumstances and take a view on whether you can commit to that level of study.
If you haven't studied for a while it might be a big ask. Perhaps you should do some of their starter courses to see how you get on.
OU degrees are not an easy option. You will need to put in the hours to get through the work. For a 60 credit module lasting 9 months you will need to find between 20-40 hours per week to study depending on the level.
You need to have access to a good library and need to be highly organised to manage your time. You need to fit this in around all your other commitments and as you have said you are already taking Maths GCSE I think that one 60 credit module as well as that will be more than enough.

Yes they do let you do 120 credits a year,I am doing so this coming year. I don't think they allow/recommend it for the first year though.

dizzyrascal

debrag wrote: »

Yes they do let you do 120 credits a year,I am doing so this coming year. I don't think they allow/recommend it for the first year though.

I have at no point said that you are not allowed to do 120 credits a year if your circumstances allow it.
If you do want to do more than 60 credits per academic year they do ask that you speak with an adviser who will look in to your commitments and guide you.
Many people can manage it but it can be stressful for others, especially if you work in a demanding job. I have known people who work on night security whizz through modules because they can study whilst they work. For most people who work full time, 120 credits would be too much.

emmafifema

Ok, so I just had a call from the college and they have said I will get funded for the diploma course there as its full time and I get a means tested benefit at the moment - does anyone know if I will be able to get a maintenance loan from student finance to support myself and my son? So its a full time BTEC diploma level 2??

Dunroamin

emmafifema wrote: »

Ok, so I just had a call from the college and they have said I will get funded for the diploma course there as its full time and I get a means tested benefit at the moment - does anyone know if I will be able to get a maintenance loan from student finance to support myself and my son? So its a full time BTEC diploma level 2??

Level 2 is only the equivalent of GCSEs so no maintenance funding. Do you have a link to the course?

Do you claim ESA?

emmafifema

I am literally putting in a claim for ESA this week as my SSP has just run out. This is the course: http://www.centralsussex.ac.uk/courses/371/btec%20level%202%20diploma%20in%20business

The lady at the college has said that the course itself will be funded as I am in receipt of housing benefit already.