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Please help; I've been a complete and utter idiot

I've dropped out of the second year of a university course after failing it due to personal circumstances (bereavement) and my university has sent me a CertHE in the post. I was considering claiming back a year of finance but I've been told I wouldn't be able to do that if I had a CertHE. The problem is that I got a bad grades on my CertHE due to my cousin dying around christmas time and most universities I've cintacted do not allow transfers onto second year if your overall first year mark is below 60% average. I don't have £9000 lying around and I thought that SFE would be able to refund me to start a new course if I dropped out.
Surely you could have contacted the Senior Tutor for your subject, and/or the Mitigation Board at your university? These people are likely to accept circumstances like these; I did this because of my depression when given a certain assignment, and if it were not for doing so, I may have dropped out. I'd say, in urgent situations like yours, do so ASAP.
Original post by Nuclear Ghost
Surely you could have contacted the Senior Tutor for your subject, and/or the Mitigation Board at your university? These people are likely to accept circumstances like these; I did this because of my depression when given a certain assignment, and if it were not for doing so, I may have dropped out. I'd say, in urgent situations like yours, do so ASAP.


I didn't contact them because I didn't think they could help me. I've already dropped out now anyway would they help an ex-student?
Original post by <InsertUsername>
I didn't contact them because I didn't think they could help me. I've already dropped out now anyway would they help an ex-student?


I honestly don't know. The truth is, they might not because it was left too late and your performance has likely been processed. I think it's worth trying, to say the least, but I don't know if it will have any effect. I hope it works.
Original post by Nuclear Ghost
I honestly don't know. The truth is, they might not because it was left too late and your performance has likely been processed. I think it's worth trying, to say the least, but I don't know if it will have any effect. I hope it works.


Do you think I should try and claim back a year off SFE anyway? I didn't know when I dropped out that having a CertHE prevented you from doing so
Original post by <InsertUsername>
Do you think I should try and claim back a year off SFE anyway? I didn't know when I dropped out that having a CertHE prevented you from doing so


Hey, forgive the lateness of my reply.

It really depends on what you feel like doing. Personally, I would dislike taking a year out. Unless you have something prepared, you're gonna be bored af. With that said, take the time to travel, get a job or internship, there's a lot you can do. But I would definitely see if you can stay on next year; it may be harder for you to come back the year after, and I would want to get the degree I came to university for as soon as I could.
Assuming that you WILL take a year out, SFE isn't something to rely on. If you desperately need funds for when you get back, I'd find another way of earning some money. I'd also take an advanced choice that is relevant to your course, which should stitch the hole in your reputation, and you'd be more competitive after you finish your degree.
It's all down to you, but to summarise, I would prioritise in the following order:

1. Contact your university, including mitigation board, and see if you can stay on
2. If you have to take a year out, apply for an advanced use of your time
3. Make some extra money

Good luck!
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Avatar for Klix88
Klix88
17
Original post by <InsertUsername>
I've dropped out of the second year of a university course after failing it due to personal circumstances (bereavement) and my university has sent me a CertHE in the post. I was considering claiming back a year of finance but I've been told I wouldn't be able to do that if I had a CertHE. The problem is that I got a bad grades on my CertHE due to my cousin dying around christmas time and most universities I've cintacted do not allow transfers onto second year if your overall first year mark is below 60% average. I don't have £9000 lying around and I thought that SFE would be able to refund me to start a new course if I dropped out.

The regulation you now fall foul of, is the ELQ rule - Equivalent or Lower Qualification. You cannot get Student Finance for a qualification which is equivalent to, or lower than, one you already hold. A CertHE is a successful completion of your first year, so there are sadly no circumstances under which you could get SF funding for the first year of any new degree.

The CertHE doesn't directly prevent you from claiming back a year of SF entitlement through their "Compelling Personal Reasons" process. However it won't do you any good, because the reinstated funding entitlement could never be used for the first year of any degree.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by <InsertUsername>
I've dropped out of the second year of a university course after failing it due to personal circumstances (bereavement) and my university has sent me a CertHE in the post. I was considering claiming back a year of finance but I've been told I wouldn't be able to do that if I had a CertHE. The problem is that I got a bad grades on my CertHE due to my cousin dying around christmas time and most universities I've cintacted do not allow transfers onto second year if your overall first year mark is below 60% average. I don't have £9000 lying around and I thought that SFE would be able to refund me to start a new course if I dropped out.


Well, it seems like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Your only options now are to save up £9000 between now and whenever you want to go back to university, you might be able to do this in a year if you work two or three jobs. Alternatively some Scottish universities allow direct second year entry if you meet the A-Level requirements. Alternatively you could just go back to your old uni and finish your degree as normal if they would let you back on from second year
Original post by <InsertUsername>
I've dropped out of the second year of a university course after failing it due to personal circumstances (bereavement) and my university has sent me a CertHE in the post. I was considering claiming back a year of finance but I've been told I wouldn't be able to do that if I had a CertHE. The problem is that I got a bad grades on my CertHE due to my cousin dying around christmas time and most universities I've cintacted do not allow transfers onto second year if your overall first year mark is below 60% average. I don't have £9000 lying around and I thought that SFE would be able to refund me to start a new course if I dropped out.


If your first year mark is below 60 when the average first year grades/percentage is 55%.... You're applying to really strict or tough universities. How many of these universities fall into the top 30 uni bracket?

You need to shop around and look at more unis if that's something you can do. Cause not every uni is like that because by that reasoning, all their first year students or don't get 60 or above automatically fail first year/are kicked out?

But anyway, you definitely should of got a mitigating circumstances thing. It would of helped immensely. It's a shame you didn't realise this before.

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