Student Funding for a second degree

Hello,

So I already have a bachelors degree and I'm just finishing my masters.
My bachelors degree was funded by student finance, but it was only 3 years.
I am looking to start another bachelors degree and was wondering if student finance would fund the first year as I thought they fund 4 years?

Thanks.

Reply 1

Klix88

Original post by gabriellabellal

I'm afraid not. The ELQ rule states that you cannot get Student Finance for a qualification which is equivalent to, or lower than, one you already hold, There are a limited number of exemptions which would be funded as a second degree e.g. medicine, nursing, some STEM subjects.

Unless your second degree is one which is exempt from the ELQ rule, it will not be funded by SF.

Reply 2

username1022850

Original post by Klix88

Do you know where to find the exemption list? The student finance England website is useless!

Reply 3

Tiger Rag

Original post by kellylouise1992

Do you know where to find the exemption list? The student finance England website is useless!

All I can find is the following:
http://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/money-and-funding/ive-already-got-a-uk-honours-degree--can-i-get-funding-for-more-higher-education/
http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/finances/funding-opportunities/all/funding-for-a-second-degree/

Reply 4

Arianax

Why do you want to do another degree after masters? Surely, you'd want to be working after all that hard work.

Reply 5

Space Gandalf

The 2016 STEM subjects included, mathematics, technology and engineering. But the 2017/18 relaxation is supposed to open up to all STEM subjects.

I found this, which contains the following:

In the 2015 Spending Review, the Chancellor announced the extension of tuition fee loans to all students studying for a second degree in a STEM subject from 2017–18. However, so far a full list of these ELQ exemptions have not been published creating challenges for university applications and course creation.

And somebody on another thread linked to this list of STEM codes, which I think match up with the course codes on UCAS. I'm curious as to if they will all be exempt or just some of them.

From looking around the forums, it doesn't seem that there has been any updates on this since it was announced. I for one am really keen to find out the details.

Lex.

Reply 6

Space Gandalf

I have found some more info here. I'm a bit confused by it, as it seems to confirm access to loans for part time students but then says it's subject to change. But it's the most recent info I've found so far. A result of a freedom of information request to the Student Loans Company.

Interestingly it specifies "additional" not "all" STEM subjects.

I can't believe that there are deadlines for certain universities fast approaching, and we still have no finite answers on this. No word of it is mentioned on most university websites either.

As confirmed in the Minister’s Written Statement, the ELQ policy applicable
to part-time courses is to be further relaxed to allow students wishing to
study a second honours degree course on a part-time basis from 1st August
2017 onwards (academic year 2017/18) to apply for fee loans towards courses
in the following additional STEM subjects:
o Subjects allied to medicine;
o Biological science;
o Veterinary sciences;
o Agriculture and related subjects;
o Physical sciences; and
o Mathematical sciencesThere have been no changes announced for ELQ policy applicable to full-time
courses.The Minister’s announcement of 21/07/2016 was communicated by SLC to Higher
Education Providers in England via a Student Support Information Notice
issued on 21/07/2016 which is available at:http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media...SLC is a public body and is bound to administer the student support scheme
within the legislative framework laid down by Parliament. The recent
announcement for academic year 2017/18, including the part-time ELQ
exception is currently within SLC’s programme of work for 2017/18
implementation, which includes Information, Advice and Guidance for
students. However, these announced changes are still subject to
Regulations successfully passing through Parliament and potentially could
be revised further. Accordingly, the above information is as much
information as we can confirm at this time.

Reply 7

Klix88

Original post by Space Gandalf

The details of the new Masters loan weren't finalised until a few weeks before the start of the relevant courses. I wouldn't expect more definite info on this second degree funding until early next year (applications for Student Finance usually open sometime around February).

If you want to do a second degree starting next September and you see an approaching deadline then you're just going to have to take a leap of faith, apply for your course, and hope that you have access to this funding if you get a place. That's effectively what Masters students had to do this year, unfortunately.

Reply 8

Space Gandalf

Original post by Klix88

Thank you! That's good to know. I won't hold my breath, then.

I'm studying with the open university, so it's not the be all and end all for me - it's not as expensive and you can pay monthly, so I could scrape by.

Reply 9

Comstock

That's really really late , IMHO. Mature students rarely apply to uni on a whim. It's something you need to think about and research in quite some detail. So they really ought to get some details out there. This is a big rule change and I think there might be quite a bit of interest.

I suppose the only other thing you can do is apply on the grounds you can only take up the place if the funding comes through- or wait until 2018.....

Reply 10

Space Gandalf

Okay, so when I looked last week Student Finance hadn't any new info for Part Time students 2017-18, however within the past few weeks Birkbeck have updated their website with a list of new courses that they say will be ELQ exempt, so this looks like a good sign. Most other universities I've looked at aren't mentioning it, but I think this is a good sign. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/student-services/financial-support/undergraduate-student-loans

Reply 11

AnEvolvedApe

So can you get funding for living costs as well as the tuition if it is a second degree?