[xmfd]

Hi there, I'm looking at starting an Open University course, but I have some questions about finance.

I dropped out of University in 2010, and received a student loan to pay the fees.

I then enrolled on a Foundation Degree (biggest mistake ever), and received a student loan for that too (£3,000). So in total I owe £6,000 of tuition fees and I haven't got anything to show for it.

I'm still enrolled on my Foundation Degree, but it's not really for me. I'm really interested in doing an Open University course, but I'm not sure how Student Finance would feel about it.

Since the fees have went up to 9k/year, I definitely wouldn't be able to afford them without some form of loan. Are there any options available to me? Have I ruined my chances of getting a degree that I'm actually interested in?

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

[xmfd]

I think students who have been enrolled on a Higher Education course since before the fees went up, will continue to pay only those fees.

So, and I could be wrong, if I was to start a new course in September/October/whenever, I'd only have to pay the £3k/year (which could be covered by my maintenance loan)?

Are there any experts on this forum? Because I seriously need some help with this! I was told before I started the Foundation Degree that if I were enrolled on a course I'd only have to pay 3k a year after the fees went up (hence the main reason I enrolled on a Foundation Degree, silly I know), but would this include Open University course fees?

And do Open University students (who receive Student Finance support) even get a maintenance loan?

So many questions, I'm so stressed out and feel like I'm hopelessly clutching at the straws of my education and life as they're sucked into a huge vacuum of unemployment and depression.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[marcusfox]

If you start a new course, you will have to pay the new fees

If you continue with an old course, you will still be on the old fee structure

You will only get fees funding for a total of four years.

[marcusfox]

If you start a new course, you will have to pay the new fees

If you continue with an old course, you will still be on the old fee structure

You will only get fees funding for a maximum total of four years and only for a first degree.

For example you can change course after the first year and restart on a new three year course, but you can't finish a three year degree and then use the year you have left to start another course (self funding the other two years)

[xmfd]

Thanks for your response, marcusfox.

So what you're saying is, if I start a new course at the Open University, I'd have to pay the full fees by myself. However, this would just be the first year, and the 2nd and 3rd years could be paid by Student Finance?

Would I still be eligible for a maintenance loan for my first year of an Open University course? I'm thinking I could use this to pay the tuition fees.

[xmfd]

I just did some quick research and found out that OU students don't get a maintenance loan.

Damn, I guess that's my plan of doing an OU degree out the window :'(

[xmfd]

If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do instead, I'd like to hear them. Cause I'm stumped.

Seems like I can't afford to go to university because the fees have gone up, which is stupid because the fees were lower when I dropped out.

Looks like I ruined my life more than I thought when I dropped out of uni the first time.

[xmfd]

The thing that annoys me most is that even though I've dropped out twice, I've only received £6,000 in tuition fees. If someone was to start a course and drop out now, they'd have wasted £9,000 in tuition fees. Yet they'd be able to re-apply and start a new course.

I know I'm silly for dropping out, but I had my reasons and now I'm ****ed because of the stupid rule

[xmfd]

Anyone know if some kind of bank loan would be possible in this situation, to help pay the first year's fees?

Long shot but I have no idea what I'm gonna do with my life if I can't go back to uni

[Shani]

The only other thing is a career development loan, but these are for a maximum of £10k and usually need to start repayments after 2 years.

Have you completed any years of study yet? If you have, maybe you could look into 2nd year entry onto a degree course, which would mean full funding for the duration of your course.

[TheDragonSlayer]

just get a grant then gamble it all away on red