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Dropping Out and Student Finance

Basically, this is quite a straightforward question for someone who's been through the same process before. I dropped out of university in November last year after two months, reapplied, and now I have an unconditional place secured for September.

However, when I was applying for student finance, I remember seeing something about providing compelling reasons why I dropped out. I don't have a passport so I have to get my birth certificate certified, and I haven't done that yet because they also want me to send the evidence of why I dropped out at the same time.

What counts as 'compelling evidence', considering I dropped out simply because I didn't enjoy the course. I'm assuming plenty of other people have been in the same situation, so what did you do? I said that I COULD provide compelling evidence since this seemed like the right thing do to, was this a mistake?

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Reply 1
Avatar for Shani
Shani
6
You simply don't supply "compelling evidence", as you don't have any.

CPR would be because of illness or some other major factor, which you'd have to get a professional to back you up (doctor, social worker etc) so that you, in a sense, get that year of entitlement "refunded".

As it stands, if that month or two was the only time you've spent in HE then the duration of a new course will be fully funded. However, you've used your "+1" year, so if you needed to change courses again or re-take a year you wouldn't have enough years left to fully fund a course.
I know about the whole "+1" thing, does that mean I could get funding for a four year course (such as if I took a year abroad) or just a three year course?
Reply 3
Avatar for MoonGazer
MoonGazer
9
You'd be fully funded for both as you've essentially just used up the extra year that you might have used if say, you did a 4 or 3 year course, failed a year and had to retake it.
Reply 4
Avatar for longman240
longman240
1
Hang on, so let me get this straight, I do English now (1st Year), if I was to transfer onto Pharmaceuticals for one year and then onto Pharmacy would that mean I wouldn't get full funding for Pharmacy?
Original post by longman240
Hang on, so let me get this straight, I do English now (1st Year), if I was to transfer onto Pharmaceuticals for one year and then onto Pharmacy would that mean I wouldn't get full funding for Pharmacy?


Yes. Your year of English would be funded, as would your year of Pharmaceuticals (and the rest of that course if you didn't switch again), but if you then restarted and did Pharmacy, you would need to fund the first year yourself.
Reply 6
Avatar for longman240
longman240
1
Original post by rmhumphries
Yes. Your year of English would be funded, as would your year of Pharmaceuticals (and the rest of that course if you didn't switch again), but if you then restarted and did Pharmacy, you would need to fund the first year yourself.

Oh wow, ok, well that's put a spanner in the works, thanks for the help. Do you know if there's a way I could pay back my year of English early and then get full funding for Pharmacy?
Original post by longman240
Oh wow, ok, well that's put a spanner in the works, thanks for the help. Do you know if there's a way I could pay back my year of English early and then get full funding for Pharmacy?


Not as far as I am aware. The only way to get around this is, as the opening poster mentioned, if you submit compelling personal circumstances explaining why you changed course.
Original post by StefanieLouise
I know about the whole "+1" thing, does that mean I could get funding for a four year course (such as if I took a year abroad) or just a three year course?


It depends on the duration of your original course. If your english course was 4 years then you'll still have 4 years, but if it was 3 then you'll only have 3 and won't be able to do a 4 year course unless you can pay for your final year. I'm in the same position but hoping that Cambridge might fund me if I decide whilst there (which you can do) to do the 4 year course - they say they don't like people to leave for financial reasons! I called up student finance about the compelling evidence thing the other week and they said the same thing as Shani - just don't supply evidence.
Reply 9
Avatar for longman240
longman240
1
Original post by rmhumphries
Not as far as I am aware. The only way to get around this is, as the opening poster mentioned, if you submit compelling personal circumstances explaining why you changed course.

Hmm, ok, so just say I do one year English, one year Pharmaceuticals and then 4 years Pharmacy, how much of that do I have to fund myself? Just the one year? Thanks for the help again!
Original post by longman240
Hmm, ok, so just say I do one year English, one year Pharmaceuticals and then 4 years Pharmacy, how much of that do I have to fund myself? Just the one year? Thanks for the help again!


I am pretty certain that you would need to fund just your first year of the Pharmacy course, although I advise you to double-check.
Original post by longman240
Hmm, ok, so just say I do one year English, one year Pharmaceuticals and then 4 years Pharmacy, how much of that do I have to fund myself? Just the one year? Thanks for the help again!


Why not just do your one year English and then 4 years Pharmacy? Are you planning to drop out twice on purpose or something?
Original post by rmhumphries
I am pretty certain that you would need to fund just your first year of the Pharmacy course, although I advise you to double-check.


Thank you, I'll give them a call, I really appreciate your help, will pos rep you :biggrin:

@Stefanie, I didn't do Biology at A-Level so I'm required to take a year in Pharmaceuticals before I start Pharmacy :frown:
Reply 13
Avatar for caramelo94
caramelo94
i dropped out in january and have an unconditional for september too, and i dont think i got asked about compelling reasons :/
Original post by longman240
Thank you, I'll give them a call, I really appreciate your help, will pos rep you :biggrin:

@Stefanie, I didn't do Biology at A-Level so I'm required to take a year in Pharmaceuticals before I start Pharmacy :frown:


It is possible, that if the year in Pharmaceuticals is a foundation year, or can be seen as part of the Pharmacy course (as a pre-requisite) that they will fund all four years of the Pharmacy course -> but that is something that you certainly need to ask them about.
Reply 15
Avatar for Shani
Shani
6
Original post by AliceStrawbs
It depends on the duration of your original course. If your english course was 4 years then you'll still have 4 years, but if it was 3 then you'll only have 3 and won't be able to do a 4 year course unless you can pay for your final year. I'm in the same position but hoping that Cambridge might fund me if I decide whilst there (which you can do) to do the 4 year course - they say they don't like people to leave for financial reasons! I called up student finance about the compelling evidence thing the other week and they said the same thing as Shani - just don't supply evidence.


The bold part is incorrect. Your first course length is irrelevant, it's the length of your current (or new) course that determines how much funding you get.

This is always: Length of new course + 1 year - previous HE study = entitlement

Your years of entitlement is always given from the last year first, so it would never be a case of having to fund the last year yourself (unless you had 0 entitlement left); it will always be the first year(s) that you self-fund.
Original post by rmhumphries
It is possible, that if the year in Pharmaceuticals is a foundation year, or can be seen as part of the Pharmacy course (as a pre-requisite) that they will fund all four years of the Pharmacy course -> but that is something that you certainly need to ask them about.


oh right, well I'll ask, thanks so much! I bloody love you man! Oh and btw, does depression count as compelling evidence?
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 17
Avatar for Shani
Shani
6
Original post by rmhumphries
It is possible, that if the year in Pharmaceuticals is a foundation year, or can be seen as part of the Pharmacy course (as a pre-requisite) that they will fund all four years of the Pharmacy course -> but that is something that you certainly need to ask them about.


Indeed, it would need to be *one* course, not two seperate courses in order for the pharmaceutical year not to count as a year previous study.
Reply 18
Avatar for Shani
Shani
6
Original post by StefanieLouise
I know about the whole "+1" thing, does that mean I could get funding for a four year course (such as if I took a year abroad) or just a three year course?


Yes, because you've used up your +1 year, you will get full funding for the duration of a new course, regardless how long that course is - as long as it's *one* course. It could be a 3 year normal degree, or a 5+ year med degree - you would get full funding for the duration as per the formula:

New course length + 1 year - previous HE study
Original post by longman240
oh right, well I'll ask, thanks so much! I bloody love you man! Oh and btw, does depression count as compelling evidence?


It depends. I am going to be retaking a year and still have my extra years funding, due to mental health problems. Depression, with evidence from a GP, is sufficient, but would need to fit with what it is explaining - for retaking a year, then it fits, for changing course I don't know if it would be acceptable (you would need to have evidence that your depression has made the change in course necessary I believe)

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