Student Finance and previous OU study?!

coldwater

I hope someone can help because i am so confused with this Student Finance thing and have been told a couple of different things when i speak to SFE, which obviously doesn't help.

My situation is.. I enrolled on a Midwifery degree in 2008 but withdrew after 7 months due to my own pregnancy problems.

I then studied K101 (60 credits) with the OU and completed this. I then started K217 but withdrew when i applied to a brick uni and got made an Unconditional offer to start September 2013.

I understand the rules on funding and how they calculate it but i am unclear on how OU study effects this as it is part time study. I have been told that each OU module counts as one year, then i was told you can do up to 16 years OU study before it effects Student Finance as its part-time and during my last call i was told i 'should' be entitled to receive full funding during my first year.

Does anyone know if i will receive full funding for my first year or should i start saving like mad?! :eek:

Taiko

What qualifications did the OU study give you?

dizzyrascal

So you have had OU funding for 120 academic credits or did you get some money refunded?
And you have also had funding for the first year of the midwifery degree.
It looks like you've had up to 2 years of funding. I'm sure Taiko will advise further but I don't think it matters whether you study part time or full time.
Each 60 credit OU module is the equivalent of half a years study at a traditional uni. I am presuming you applied for financial help for your OU modules?

coldwater

Taiko wrote: »

What qualifications did the OU study give you?

Hi. All i have from the OU is K101 a certificate in Health Social Care (60 credits). I don't think it is even a recognised qualification.

coldwater

dizzyrascal wrote: »

So you have had OU funding for 120 academic credits or did you get some money refunded?
And you have also had funding for the first year of the midwifery degree.
It looks like you've had up to 2 years of funding. I'm sure Taiko will advise further but I don't think it matters whether you study part time or full time.
Each 60 credit OU module is the equivalent of half a years study at a traditional uni. I am presuming you applied for financial help for your OU modules?

Yes i had funding for 120 altogether, although only completed one module, which was 60 credits. The OU have refunded the cost of the module i withdrew from and said i can use it for another module if needed.

With the Midwifery degree i had my fees etc paid for by NHS bursaries.

Thanks.

dizzyrascal

coldwater wrote: »

Hi. All i have from the OU is K101 a certificate in Health Social Care (60 credits). I don't think it is even a recognised qualification.

It is a recognised qualification, you have achieved a certificate in HE.
OU funding is still university level education for which you had funding.
Under the old system all your funding and study would have gone through your local LEA.


I don't know how your NHS funding will affect how much you qualify for. If you had already got a degree you can still have NHS funding. Need Tailko to solve this one

Taiko

Going to review the regs when I get chance, and also check the details on the OU website for some more info

coldwater

Taiko wrote: »

Going to review the regs when I get chance, and also check the details on the OU website for some more info

Than you very much. I really appreciate it.

amiehall

Was this OU study this year ie 2012/13 academic year? Did you receive a loan for it or were you under the old grant system?

Before the changes in 2012, the systems were very separate and OU study didn't seem to affect loan entitlement at all as long as you didn't gain a degree. I haven't followed the changed since then as I am now at a brick university full-time but have a feeling that bringing the OU into the loans system may have changed the situation.

dizzyrascal

If you had funding for your OU courses under the old system you got a small grant from SFE and your local LEA were informed of your study.
This was to stop people having funding twice.
If you paid for it yourself then it might have been different.
I know that it was a cheap option to get a second degree as each module only cost about £650 and I know many graduates who did study through the OU for this reason.

coldwater

I had my OU funding under the old system. I had the small grant from SFE. The course i started this year but withdrew from was also under the old system as i was on transitional fees.