Funding for a second degree

adamfairs

Hello,

I've received an offer from Plymouth University to study to be a paramedic (BSc Hons). I already have a degree from an Australian university (a BSc Ordinary) and have never had a student loan before. But, despite this, it seems that I cannot get any funding from Student Finance England. Have spoken to them on many occasions I've been told that I am eligible for:

a) No finance.
b) Full finance (3 years of tuition fees and 3 years of maintenance loans/grants)
c) Tuition fees for 1 year + maintenance grant/loans for 3 years
d) Tuition fees for 2 years + maintenance grant/loans for 3 years

The latest response was a) - nothing. I'm waiting for confirmation of this in writing but I wondered whether anyone had any experience of/advice on:

getting funding from elsewhere
appealing
other ways of raising income

Or, whether anyone would like to have a cry with me...

Cheers,

Adam

agrinnall

Are you a UK resident, and for how long has that been the case?

adamfairs

Hello agrinnall, thank you for your question.

Yes, I am a UK resident and have always been a UK passport holder (I also hold an Australian passport).

ericctheking

Be careful with student loans because of plans to sell of the entire student loan book.
Look at the threads about Erudio student loans who bought the old loans and see the world of stress and sleepless nights the government has sold people into.

agrinnall

I'll re-ask my original question in a slightly different way, how long have you been resident in the UK since you were last non-resident (which I assume you were to have a degree from Australia)?

adamfairs

agrinnall wrote: »

I'll re-ask my original question in a slightly different way, how long have you been resident in the UK since you were last non-resident (which I assume you were to have a degree from Australia)?

Sorry agrinnall. I re-emigrated to the UK in 2002 and have been a resident of the UK since then.

Taiko

Residency is fine. If you don't already have the honours, then it's not ELQ either.

I've concerns over the actual course though, as paramedic ones have always been iffy, and I had to make several students ineligible over the years due to the course structure. Some of them are set up as mixed mode courses, so a student does FT study one year, PT the next. Those courses are not designated for funding, unless things have changed since 2010 which I'm not sure they have.

How many years did your Australian degree take to complete?

adamfairs

Taiko wrote: »

Residency is fine. If you don't already have the honours, then it's not ELQ either.

I've concerns over the actual course though, as paramedic ones have always been iffy, and I had to make several students ineligible over the years due to the course structure. Some of them are set up as mixed mode courses, so a student does FT study one year, PT the next. Those courses are not designated for funding, unless things have changed since 2010 which I'm not sure they have.

How many years did your Australian degree take to complete?

Hello Taiko, thank you for taking the time to reply.

When you say that it's not an ELQ, does that mean that you think I should be able to get some form of tuition fees? The last person I spoke to told mean that they are both level 6 so they are equal.

The course is roughly set up to be 6 weeks in the classroom and then 6 weeks practical. I've not heard of any rules surrounding this on my travels though. Can you explain this?

My Australian degree took 3 years. One phone adviser explained that I should be eligible for 4 years - 3 years of previous study = 1 of funding. Another said it would be 4 - 3 years of previous study = 1 + 1 year because it was an overseas degree.

Any advice or clarification would be appreciated.

montymud

From my understanding you are not eligible for any funding as you already hold a degree. In order to qualify for Student Finance it has to be your first degree. The same goes for that 4th year of tuition - it is true that Student Finance pay for 3 or 4 years but again, only if you don't already hold a degree.

Taiko

montymud wrote: »

From my understanding you are not eligible for any funding as you already hold a degree. In order to qualify for Student Finance it has to be your first degree. The same goes for that 4th year of tuition - it is true that Student Finance pay for 3 or 4 years but again, only if you don't already hold a degree.

You're not helpful if you're posting up wrong information.

An ordinary degree, like the OP has posted, comes in at a C on the ELQ scale, where A is HNC/Cert Ed and E is Masters/PGCE/MBA's.

An honours degree is a D, and therefore the OP is not ineligible on ELQ grounds.

Residency is fine, and I've checked the course out and it is designated as full time. I'm thinking universities learned their lessons previously, or are at least covering up a bit to get designation. ALl in the wording!

With regards to previous study, you will only be entitled to one year of fee support. The regulations changed in 2009 onwards, to encompass overseas study. Fees will only be paid in your final year, so you will need to pay for the first two yourself. I would suggest approaching the university for guidance on how to obtain funding for that.

The application won't be straightforward, so I suggest trying to do a paper application (I think SFE still have them!), and attach copies of your Australian certificates to show you don't hold an honours degree, just an ordinary one. Useful reference in a covering letter would be Paragraph 151 of SFE's internal guidance on ELQ's, which states:

151. When assessing applications for student support from students who
wish to study a second higher education qualification, the
Department is of the opinion that assessors should take into account
a range of factors in assessing the level of the second degree, and
hence whether it is a qualification which is equivalent or lower to their
first qualification. These include: the whole qualification, the title and
final award, the entry requirements for the qualification and how the
final award allows progression to postgraduate qualifications. They 2014/15 HE Student Finance Assessing Eligibility Guidance
Version 1.2 44
may also seek advice from the higher education institution or
awarding body. Furthermore, if the HE qualification which
someone already holds is an honours degree from a UK HEI,
then consideration does not need to be given to the academic
level of the course: it is automatically an ELQ. The following table
sets out the academic levels as considered for the Regulations,
however, the list is not exhaustive.

E Masters
MBAs
PGCE
D Honours Degree
LLB
Integrated Masters
Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary
courses
Scottish MA’s
Oxford and Cambridge MA’s
C Ordinary Degree
B HNDs
Dip HE
Foundation Degrees
A HNCs
Cert HE

adamfairs

Taiko, that is the most comprehensive response I've had. Thank you!

Can you tell me whether me holding a degree would exclude me from receiving a maintenance loan/grant?

I've already submitted an application and am waiting to receive a letter from them telling me that I'm not eligible for anything, but the quote you've provided me will be invaluable in appealing.

This all makes a huge difference to me and my future. Thank you for you help.