Loan eligibility for mature student with unusual background?

[Deleted User] · 17 June 2014 at 3:57PM

I am considering taking a degree course as a (very) mature student but am concerned about funding tuition fees.

I have a Higher Cert. in Mech. and Prod. Eng. (1982) . This qualification was only available for 2 or 3 years and I cannot find what level it is - possibly an HND

Prior to that course I was at University (1970's) for just under 2 years but left due to ill health.

Can anyone tell me if I would be eligible for a loan for tuition fees?

Also regarding repayments I assume with only a very small pension and some savings and investments income I would not have to make repayments.

Thank you in advance.

DomRavioli · 17 June 2014 at 4:23PM

Have you rang the student loans company? that would be your first port of call as it goes off a number of factors - they can tell you definitively whether you are eligible as they are the ones who give them out.

amiehall · 17 June 2014 at 8:44PM

They won't be able to give you proper advice that you can hold them to over the phone I'm afraid. The people who will actually assess your case are not available to speak to directly on the phone, you can only speak to the call centre workers.

I'm not sure what kind of records will have been kept as far back as you're talking about. You definitely won't be affected by ELQ rules as you have no honours degree. You've had a lot of years of funding already, but as I said, their records might not be up to identifying these. Students who drop out due to ill health are often able to have these years discounted but, after all this time you're unlikely to have any acceptable evidence.

Basically the only way to find out is to make an application. They will write to you if you're deemed ineligible for full funding in some years. You should be entitled to a full maintenance loan in every year, it's just the fees loan and maintenance grant that are doubtful.

silvercar · 17 June 2014 at 9:30PM

I wonder if they have records going back to the 70s. I would phone the university and find out if the university even knows you attended. If the university doesn't have you on its records I very much doubt that student finance would have its own records of who received funding back then.