ESA and thinking of distance learning?

hugobunny

Hi everyone
I would really appreciate some advice.
I am on esa and dla, and was thinking of working towards a masters degree with the open university (part time) as i thought it would help me recover, and was planning to pay for the fees using a postgraduate loan. Then I read somewhere that a postgraduate loan could affect my benefits. Is this true? If so, has anyone got any other ideas?
Thanks for helping, im so confused now!

Mrs_Ryan

Hello
The postgraduate loans are a minefield! Because they are paid direct to you and not the uni then I can see them being classed as income unlike the undergrad OU p/t fee loans that are paid direct to the uni. If that is the case then potentially yes, if you are on income based ESA.

teddysmum

The OU site says you only begin paying back when your income reaches £21000.ESA will mean no possibility of paying back , so would they offer a loan that is unlikely to be paid back ?

Mrs_Ryan

teddysmum wrote: »

The OU site says you only begin paying back when your income reaches £21000.ESA will mean no possibility of paying back , so would they offer a loan that is unlikely to be paid back ?

It's not the OU who offer the loans, it's Student Finance England. I am a member of the Disabled Students Group for the OU and many members have student loans. It's not always possible to say if someone will be on ESA for life, particularly younger people.