IA's Debt/Life/Little bit of Everything Diary...

mrsspendalot

debrag wrote: »

oh so its the grant from the government not the finance thing from the OU. How much does your income have to be to get the funding?

The funding for OU courses comes from the government but is part time funding, so works differently to full time study. The income band for funding depends on circumstances - I would be able to earn more than IA and still get same level of funding because I have 3 children and she has 2, for example. There is a rough calculator on their website:

http://www3.open.ac.uk/coursefinance/ (for england and NI)

You basically get a grant towards the cost of the courses, and £250 grant from the SLC towards study costs. If you get full funding you can also claim from the OU's access to learning fund for other costs not met by the £250 SLC grant. For example I live 120 mile round trip away from the tutorial venues, so I can claim back travel expenses to tutorials. I can claim back the cost of my internet for the duration of the courses. I could claim childcare if I paid it whilst I studied at home. I can claim back for any books I am required to buy for the course. I even got £250 from them to buy a new PC.

Pooky

Thanks for that - have just had a look and should be eligable for some finance help (didn't realise that!) combined with the grant then it more than covers the course fees so have applied

mrsspendalot

Pooky wrote: »

Thanks for that - have just had a look and should be eligable for some finance help (didn't realise that!) combined with the grant then it more than covers the course fees so have applied

Fantastic!

barnaby-bear

mrsspendalot wrote: »

nope - you can link it on the form that comes. MSN me when the stuff comes and I will help you It's something to do with the way the government funds HE, and you have to be seen to be working towards a degree or qualification in order to get the funding - or at least that always used to be the case. Registering online really just registers your interest - the forms that come are the important bits.

Gosh she doesn't do things slowly... they really are flexible linking the course at the moment isn't committing you to a timetable; which course did you choose in the end?

Ummm this might give some ideas, it's pretty much like the SOA / budgetting; some people put the work in and get into it - some don't...
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=660255&highlight=open+university

And IA - use Mrs. Spendalot!

:cool:student discount card....

barnaby-bear

debrag wrote: »

I feel the courses are very limited for choice I could do my crim degree though but its with psych. I could do a degree in molecular science but think I'd have to go away for a week or something for lab work.

The funding - you have to pay it back through the OU right? The part-time grant from SLC you don't, or can you apply for this through the OU?

But any other molecular science degree would require lab. experience... the OU is not rated on a different scale to 'real' universities....

debrag

I'd get £375 plus £250 travel + top-up as course would be over £765 + £200 aditional funding.

I'm part-time at the moment so know how that works just OU was confusing me.

Do you apply via OU or SLC as I know on their forms you say if its OU.

mrsspendalot

barnaby-bear wrote: »

But any other molecular science degree would require lab. experience... the OU is not rated on a different scale to 'real' universities....

Exactly - the degree wouldn't stand up to scrutiny if you could pass it without having done some practical work.

barnaby-bear

mrsspendalot wrote: »

I really cannot recommend the OU highly enough - I could never have afforded to do a degree with them and their fantastic funding! It opens up a whole new world.

I'd actually quite like IA to have the confidence to be able to say in 6 months, I'm studying part towards a degree... to Mrs. Slave-Wage-Nursery-Lady....

mrsspendalot

debrag wrote: »

I'd get £375 plus £250 travel + top-up as course would be over £765 + £200 aditional funding.

I'm part-time at the moment so know how that works just OU was confusing me.

Do you apply via OU or SLC as I know on their forms you say if its OU.

You apply via the OU on their form. They then tell you what your entitlement is, the SLC make payment to your bank account. You don't deal direct with the SLC.

mrsspendalot

if you are already studying at another HE institution you might not get funding for OU though - you may need to check this. You also don't get funding if you already have a degree.