[Missbritish401]

Hello

Here's my situation Im a UK citizen
I moved to the U.S when i was 14 finished high school there and started my bachelors degree there. I moved back to UK in December 2012 after I started my first term of my third year there.

I'm now applying for a student loan
But the student loan people are saying I'm Ineligible for a loan to cover Tution and only eligible for maintenance loan bc I started my degree in the U.S and didn't finish.
I applied for schools in the second year and got into one start second year of third year of my sociology-psychology program
I think this is absurd. The fact that I started my degree in the U.S and hoping to transfer to a different university over here in second year shouldn't stop me from getting a tuition loan.

Technically It is a top up as I started a regular undergraduate degree in the U.S and now starting my first time in higher education back in the UK for a honours degree
Shouldn't I be allowed to get a tuition loan?

Can anyone give me some guidance to get around this as I need financial support
Do you think if I completely start over in my degree over as year 1 I might be eligible despite my previous study?

[Shani]

Either the person giving you the advice didn't know what they're talking about, or you've misunderstood them. However, the final result remains the same - you will not get funding - not yet - not until you have been in the UK for 3 years. Student Finance eligibility is linked to residence and everyone, regardless of nationality needs to have 3 years residence in the UK before the start. This includes a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan.

Further to this, student finance is worked out using a formula for eligible students. This formula is:

Length of new course + 1 year - previous study

Previous study is counted regardless how that previous study was financed or where in the world it took place, and a whole year is "used up" even if it was just 1 day in attendance on a course.

If, by some means, your non-resident status was ignored and you were eligible for financial help, the formula in your case would work as follows (bearing in mind I'm assuming the full course length you will be attending is 3 years with you having year 2 entry):

Length of new course (3) + 1 year - previous HE study (3) = 1

This means you would have 1 year of full funding left, and is applied from the last year first, meaning during your "year 2" you would get a maintenance loan only, and full funding for year 3.

This has nothing to do with the fact your previous study was in the US - it is a formula that is used for everyone.

[Missbritish401]

Okay Shani thank you very much that cleared it up for me. I appreciate the help and now understand what i'm entitled to.