[whiz]

Hey there,

I'm just wondering if mature students (I;m 22), doing a second degree, are entitled to student loans to cover living costs?? I heard there may be some changes for students entering 2006/7, but will this affect those going to uni this Sept 2005?? I asked my LEA but they didn't seem too helpful.

I realise we don't get any loans towards tuition fees as second undergrads, but wondering whether living costs loans are affected too?? any help much appreciated!!

[ancientone]

I'm a mature student doing a second bachelors degree, and I get a student loan having had a grant (those were the days!) many years ago. What I don't get is the HE grant so I have to pay full tuition fees. I think your loan is totally separate from anything else.

[Olivia22]

I am going back to do my second degree this September. You are right that you will have to pay all your tuition fees but you are still entitled to a student loan. Are you atarting this Sept? When did you send your form off?

My LEA took a while to reply to my form, they basically told me that because I was a 2nd student I get put to the back of the list!!

I read somewhere that it is a possibility that you may not receive all the available loan but in the end I did, I got £3175 (non income assessed)

SO, you should definilty get some loan if not all of it. The LEA just has to phone the SLC to check that its ok for you to have more money basically.

[whiz]

Thanks guys. Also, does it matter if you took out a loan for your first degree? I did, but not like the whole £9000, i only used a bit the last time (but not yet paid that back!).

[Olivia22]

No it doesn't matter. I owe them about £8000 from my first degree still but still got my 2nd loan. Oh the joy of debt!!

[Fluffy]

(Original post by ancientone)
I'm a mature student doing a second bachelors degree, and I get a student loan having had a grant (those were the days!) many years ago. What I don't get is the HE grant so I have to pay full tuition fees. I think your loan is totally separate from anything else.

Ditto - although doing medicine I don't have to pay full international fees - just the capped home ones.

I get a full loan.

[Fluffy]

(Original post by PQ)
You definitely get a basic loan, what they don't have to offer is the income assessed portion, tuition fees or the £1000pa HE grant.

However - it's completely at the discretion of your LEA and some LEAs will grant you the full package if they've got the extra cash for the year available...so it's always worth applying for everything (being completely honest about prior study).

you do get the income assessed part of the loan - providing you qualify for it in the normal manner!

[nikk]

(Original post by Fluffy)
you do get the income assessed part of the loan - providing you qualify for it in the normal manner!

I am correct in thinking that if medicine is your second degree, you will have to pay tuition fees for the first two years, but then providing you pass those years, the NHS will pay for the rest of the course?

[Fluffy]

(Original post by nikk)
I am correct in thinking that if medicine is your second degree, you will have to pay tuition fees for the first two years, but then providing you pass those years, the NHS will pay for the rest of the course?

Nope - on the GEP you fund your 1st year totally (fees and living expenses - you qualify to apply for the full student loan)

In years 2, 3 and 4, the DoH pay your fees and you might get a small means tested bursary. From talking to GEPers, few peeps qualify for the bursary as it's means tested on your parents income if you are 25 or under and haven't lived outside of the familiy home (for non-educational reasons) for at least 3 years, and if you're older it's means tested on your partners income if you're cohabiting or married... You can only apply for a small fraction of the means tested SLC loan. So many GEP students actually get shafted rather than be financially comfortable.

Graduates on the 5 or 6 year course are treated like any other med student - you fund yourself (but do get SLC loans) for years 1-4, then your final year (and 4th year if you're on a non-foundation 6 year course - i.e. are intercalating in some manner) is the same as GEP years 2-4 - i.e DoH pay your fees and you applt for the means tested bursary...

[nikk]

(Original post by Fluffy)
Nope - on the GEP you fund your 1st year totally (fees and living expenses - you qualify to apply for the full student loan)

In years 2, 3 and 4, the DoH pay your fees and you might get a small means tested bursary. From talking to GEPers, few peeps qualify for the bursary as it's means tested on your parents income if you are 25 or under and haven't lived outside of the familiy home (for non-educational reasons) for at least 3 years, and if you're older it's means tested on your partners income if you're cohabiting or married... You can only apply for a small fraction of the means tested SLC loan. So many GEP students actually get shafted rather than be financially comfortable.

Graduates on the 5 or 6 year course are treated like any other med student - you fund yourself (but do get SLC loans) for years 1-4, then your final year (and 4th year if you're on a non-foundation 6 year course - i.e. are intercalating in some manner) is the same as GEP years 2-4 - i.e DoH pay your fees and you applt for the means tested bursary...

Thanks very much for the reply

I am very much hoping to get onto a medical course after my current degree (though you may have noticed from the other thread that I am building up some back-up plans in case I can't). So although I would be a graduate, I am probably just going to apply for the normal 5 year courses as I hear the GEP is seriously competitive and I wish to maximise my chances.

I'm glad to hear that I would be able to get the SLC loans as that will help a bit. I am currently saving as much money as I can as I thought I would have to pay the fees for a 2nd degree (the fees are currently paid for me in my current degree).

Thanks again for the post!

[Fluffy]

Since this thread, things have become very much darker for 2nd undergrad degree-ers.

You'll have to pay your £3k a year up front, as the LEA will not cover this for you (as they will do for 1st timers - who then pay it back after their degree).

[your.angel]

(Original post by Fluffy)
Since this thread, things have become very much darker for 2nd undergrad degree-ers.

You'll have to pay your £3k a year up front, as the LEA will not cover this for you (as they will do for 1st timers - who then pay it back after their degree).

Is this true even if you had no financial help with your first degree?

[Fluffy]

(Original post by your.angel)
Is this true even if you had no financial help with your first degree?

Depends on how you define help - if you totally self-financed and didn't apply to your LEA for help, and your degree wasn't paid for by a public body, then you get full help, as per first degree.

If you didn't get help because you didn't qualify for it, then that's a different kettle of ze fishes.

[your.angel]

So - if you paid the £1000 tuition fees yourself, and got no loan, and never applied for any means tested financial help, does that count as being self-financing?