How many years do student finance for after 2 quits?

nada1986

Hi all,

Here's my situation. I've started two degrees.
The first degree I failed.
The second one, which I am just about to finish, will probably be a pass (if I have energy to complete..)

I'm realizing that neither of these courses worked for me.

I now am pretty sure what I'd like to do. It's another BA Hons.

I understand that the way Student Finance fund is 3yrs - 1yr = 4 yrs incase of need for retake. I also think I understand that the extra years allocated to those degrees get taken off if degrees not completed in regard to starting a new one..?

Does this mean that after quitting 2 degrees, I will therefore have 1 year left of loan?

And what if I fail one and pass one? Does that make a difference?

I have had enough mental health problems to affect what I want to study and determine myself, let alone anything else. It's taken almost a decade to finally realize that the one I'm thinking of is what I'll genuinely enjoy. My medical records have recorded history of mental health problems. I guess the student loans company will take this into account?

Thanks :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1

Klix88

Original post by nada1986

The second one, which I am just about to finish, will probably be a pass (if I have energy to complete..)

I'm afraid once you have a degree, you'relimited by the "Equivalent or Lower Qualifications" rule (ELQ). You can only get further funding for a very limited number of second degrees which either involve a professional qualification (e.g. architecture) or which are NHS-funded.

A BA is unlikely to be on that list, so you'll have to be entirely self-funding for a second degree - including tuition fees.

I understand that the way Student Finance fund is 3yrs - 1yr = 4 yrs incase of need for retake. I also think I understand that the extra years allocated to those degrees get taken off if degrees not completed in regard to starting a new one..?

Not quite. But once you have a degree, the calculation is irrelevant - you aren't going to get funding for the majority of second degrees.

However....

Does this mean that after quitting 2 degrees, I will therefore have 1 year left of loan?

Not if you pass a degree.

However if you're thinking of quitting your second degree, you won't have a degree so the ELQ rule won't apply. It then depends how many years of study you've already done as to whether you'll get any more Student Finance. The equation is:

Number of years of your new degree (minus) Number of years of previous uni-level study (plus) One year = Number of years of remaining funding entitlement

From what you've said, I'm guessing you're in the third year of your second attempt at a degree. For the purposes of the above calculation, partial years are taken as complete, so you've used 3 years of entitlement for your current degree. If you left your first attempt during or immediately after your first year, this would count as 1 year used. So in that situation (sorry, you don't give details so I'm just doing this as an example) you've had 4 years of funding. If you start a new 3 year degree from scratch, the calculation gives you 3-4+1=0 years of funding.

So in that illustration, you won't be entitled to any more SF funding.

And what if I fail one and pass one? Does that make a difference?

Yes. Once you've passed a degree, you can only get funding for a very limited number of second degrees (see above).

I have had enough mental health problems to affect what I want to study and determine myself, let alone anything else.

If you've left either of your degrees due to health issues, you may be able to claw back some years of funding entitlement - this is known as "Compelling Personal Reasons". You'll need to provide written proof of what your problems were and how they affected your ability to study, from a third party such as a GP or counsellor who was involved in your treatment.

My medical records have recorded history of mental health problems. I guess the student loans company will take this into account?

If you can prove that the problems prevented you from studying, then yes, you can apply for CPR for years that you've failed. You won't get CPR accepted for years that you've passed, as your problems weren't so severe that they caused you to fail. A lower mark than expected for a year that you passed, won't be grounds for CPR.

Good luck :smile:

How many years do student finance for after 2 quits?

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