The Student Room Group
Student at the Open University
Open University
Milton Keynes
Visit website

Student loan for OU?

Forgive me it's been a long time since i've been here,

I'll try and be breif but will add details if necessary, I'm 25 years old going on 26, and when I was 18 I spent a year at university which I absolutely hated (course will brill, environment wasn't) it didn't agree with me so I dropped out. I made a post a long time ago as even though i hated my time at uni I still felt like it was the right choice to go...just not the right environment for me.

Anyway life kicked in and I actually did allright for myself got stuck into a career by accident and ended up having a whale of a time tuning the engine management systems of performance vehicles, bit of engineering and computing all in one, but I've recently been ill and had some family issues this year which has forced me to give it up.

So now I'm on the mend and looking to get back into working, and im feeling a bit at square one - I've just read that in 2012 they have started allowing people who want to take a degree at the OU to have a student loan, not the maintenance part but help towards the course fees. I'm wondering if anyone can clarify for me whether the year of loan I took (which is actually part paid back now) is likely to prevent me from applying?

It's something I'm just thinking about because I can support myself with my own small business as a freelance engine tuner, but couldn't come up with the lump sum to do a years study, though hopefully getting a qualification would open doors, which of course is the ultimate aim.

Can anyone advise? I didn't leave on very good terms with the university when I went.

if you need any details just ask! apologise that the first post (in a while!) is a question,

Kristian
Original post by Englishkeymaster
Forgive me it's been a long time since i've been here,

I'll try and be breif but will add details if necessary, I'm 25 years old going on 26, and when I was 18 I spent a year at university which I absolutely hated (course will brill, environment wasn't) it didn't agree with me so I dropped out. I made a post a long time ago as even though i hated my time at uni I still felt like it was the right choice to go...just not the right environment for me.

Anyway life kicked in and I actually did allright for myself got stuck into a career by accident and ended up having a whale of a time tuning the engine management systems of performance vehicles, bit of engineering and computing all in one, but I've recently been ill and had some family issues this year which has forced me to give it up.

So now I'm on the mend and looking to get back into working, and im feeling a bit at square one - I've just read that in 2012 they have started allowing people who want to take a degree at the OU to have a student loan, not the maintenance part but help towards the course fees. I'm wondering if anyone can clarify for me whether the year of loan I took (which is actually part paid back now) is likely to prevent me from applying?

It's something I'm just thinking about because I can support myself with my own small business as a freelance engine tuner, but couldn't come up with the lump sum to do a years study, though hopefully getting a qualification would open doors, which of course is the ultimate aim.

Can anyone advise? I didn't leave on very good terms with the university when I went.

if you need any details just ask! apologise that the first post (in a while!) is a question,

Kristian


Hey mate, the first part of your post is basically reading about my life.. I am also the same age as you now (although at final year now of my OU degree -- chem and biology) anyway you can get full funding for your whole degree, they class it as a failed start... You basically get 4 years of full time study worth of funding so a OU degree would be fully paid for!!!

It's not too mate to start this oct too.... What you going to study? Engineering?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Student at the Open University
Open University
Milton Keynes
Visit website
Yeah, thanks for the reply mate - I'm basically self taught in computer programming and basic electronics, as part of my freelance work i design circuit boards etc, and I do a bit of voluntary restoration at a heritage railway so even though I'm not very good with my hands and drawing a line straight I am technology/engineering oriented so I was thinking about getting in on an engineering discipline.

I'm still thinking of pushing my consulting work on the side, because it's not time intensive and it'd be nice if I can build that up alongside, but it'd be nice at the same time to fix the errors of the past so to speak, and even if my own venture fails i'll be working towards something that can help elsewhere.

It's fantastic to hear that you're unlikely to be discriminated against, that's probably putting a bit harsh but I did wonder if the SLC if that's still what it's called might be a bit 'you didn't go through first time, please go away'.

I'm still looking through courses but like i say something oriented around engineering, i wondered if it might be wise going for a bit of a bias towards renewable energy as it's quite current, but I don't know. I think main thing for someone like me is to have a bit of broad knowledge in the discipline than get too specialised at this stage because I don't know what i'll end up doing! I appreciate you've probably got the same problem!

That's the problem with life, i'm finding out too late (I know 25/26 isn't that old) but you start to realise gambles you took, opportunities offered aren't what they should have been and you realise it's time to get things back on track.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I assume you'll be looking or going into engineering too?

Kris
Original post by Englishkeymaster
Yeah, thanks for the reply mate - I'm basically self taught in computer programming and basic electronics, as part of my freelance work i design circuit boards etc, and I do a bit of voluntary restoration at a heritage railway so even though I'm not very good with my hands and drawing a line straight I am technology/engineering oriented so I was thinking about getting in on an engineering discipline.

I'm still thinking of pushing my consulting work on the side, because it's not time intensive and it'd be nice if I can build that up alongside, but it'd be nice at the same time to fix the errors of the past so to speak, and even if my own venture fails i'll be working towards something that can help elsewhere.

It's fantastic to hear that you're unlikely to be discriminated against, that's probably putting a bit harsh but I did wonder if the SLC if that's still what it's called might be a bit 'you didn't go through first time, please go away'.

I'm still looking through courses but like i say something oriented around engineering, i wondered if it might be wise going for a bit of a bias towards renewable energy as it's quite current, but I don't know. I think main thing for someone like me is to have a bit of broad knowledge in the discipline than get too specialised at this stage because I don't know what i'll end up doing! I appreciate you've probably got the same problem!

That's the problem with life, i'm finding out too late (I know 25/26 isn't that old) but you start to realise gambles you took, opportunities offered aren't what they should have been and you realise it's time to get things back on track.

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I assume you'll be looking or going into engineering too?

Kris


Your still very young and can do what you want to do, and it seems you have a pretty good head on your shoulders anyway!

I am thinking of chemical engineering because I think there is a lot of prospects and it opens up your options a little... Have you thought about combining engineering with something like chemistry or environmental studies? You basically need to do half engineering half another sector and you will have enough credits to graduate in both fields and go on and do further study or work!!

If you need any advice/help feel free to PM me... Happy to help buddy


Posted from TSR Mobile
Thanks for your message, it's encouraging reading!

I have considered combining areas, but I don't have much time! decisions, decisions!

I do have a few questions and you might actually be geared to help, it's once again about student loans.

Do you know what the process is for applying in this manner? it sounds daft but I really can't recall how I did it the first time!
Original post by Englishkeymaster
Thanks for your message, it's encouraging reading!

I have considered combining areas, but I don't have much time! decisions, decisions!

I do have a few questions and you might actually be geared to help, it's once again about student loans.

Do you know what the process is for applying in this manner? it sounds daft but I really can't recall how I did it the first time!


Your in a must easier position to apply... Contact student finance England and get your customer reference number (you would have had it when you first applied years ago) log in and apply... Takes very little time!! But you can use that CRN to apply for your module before it comes through!! :-)


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Lambert87
Your in a must easier position to apply... Contact student finance England and get your customer reference number (you would have had it when you first applied years ago) log in and apply... Takes very little time!! But you can use that CRN to apply for your module before it comes through!! :-)


Posted from TSR Mobile


ooh that's smashing! I know there's reams and reams of help on the OU website (in fact the support department seems to be massive) but there's not really a lot to indicate where a 'returning customer' so to speak might start.

For all i knew you might have had to re-register with the slc!

This does make it a lot easier, thanks a bunch mate. Now the only thing I have to ask myself is, can I do the math? :biggrin: seriously, i took the quiz for one of the modules, one of the trickier ones. I would, whilst pinching a famous author's phrase, describe it as 'enchantingly nasty'.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Englishkeymaster
ooh that's smashing! I know there's reams and reams of help on the OU website (in fact the support department seems to be massive) but there's not really a lot to indicate where a 'returning customer' so to speak might start.

For all i knew you might have had to re-register with the slc!

This does make it a lot easier, thanks a bunch mate. Now the only thing I have to ask myself is, can I do the math? :biggrin: seriously, i took the quiz for one of the modules, one of the trickier ones. I would, whilst pinching a famous author's phrase, describe it as 'enchantingly nasty'.


Ouch! PM me your email address mate and I'll send you a OU maths book... It will help a great deal... You will get used to the maths I was always **** at it but I'm better now


Posted from TSR Mobile
cheers, pm on the way, to be honest as long as it's something you can work up to, rather than a 'prerequisite' then I'll probably be okay.

I'm not autistic or anything, but i've always had to teach things to myself to really get anywhere with most things, if there's two ways to solve a problem the 'around the houses' way might jump out at me, where the 'mainstream' way seems overcomplicated when explained to me to try and encourage me to use it.

Does make me wonder if i'm considering the right thing, but on the other hand I've never had a challenge I can't beat given the enthusiasm level stays high, so there's more to be said about making sure it's something you like doing rather than worrying about difficulty.

Quick Reply

Latest