Dropping out of uni twice?
I went last year at 18, and dropped out early Jan, as i had decided i had stayed too close to home (commuted). I am now at another university much further (4 hours away) a year later, and so unsure of myself. I thought i was extremely keen to learn on my course (Biology) but am coming to realise I should’ve followed my true passion for Fine Art (i declined an unconditional offer and feel like an idiot for it). As much as i do enjoy learning Biology, it’s so so much, and I really dont see it as something i want to do long term/career wise. The uni itself i feel is also not for me, i have absolutely no real friends at all. It is a very small/cliquey uni and i came expecting people to be much nicer than they are - people all already seem to have little groups of friends and i feel quite isolated. It’s also not a “top” university if that makes sense. I am at the moment really keen ok dropping out and working part-time this year, and possibly starting again at uni for Fine Art next academic year. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about how this would work with student finance? Anything helps, thank you 
Original post by unsweetenedblue
I went last year at 18, and dropped out early Jan, as i had decided i had stayed too close to home (commuted). I am now at another university much further (4 hours away) a year later, and so unsure of myself. I thought i was extremely keen to learn on my course (Biology) but am coming to realise I should’ve followed my true passion for Fine Art (i declined an unconditional offer and feel like an idiot for it). As much as i do enjoy learning Biology, it’s so so much, and I really dont see it as something i want to do long term/career wise. The uni itself i feel is also not for me, i have absolutely no real friends at all. It is a very small/cliquey uni and i came expecting people to be much nicer than they are - people all already seem to have little groups of friends and i feel quite isolated. It’s also not a “top” university if that makes sense. I am at the moment really keen ok dropping out and working part-time this year, and possibly starting again at uni for Fine Art next academic year. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about how this would work with student finance? Anything helps, thank you
Student Finance has something called a gift year. This is where they will pay for one year on a different course (it would cover the first time you dropped out), then they will only pay for the full three years on the "proper" course (biology at your current uni).
Are you in year one? SFE are quite strict with their rules, because you dropped out once, now you're considering dropping out again, if you apply for SFE for Fine arts it may be the chance that they pay for a tuition fee but not maintenance. I've had a lot of friends who've dropped out for various reasons. One did two years at university but dropped out as she didn't like the course and student finance only offered to pay the tuition fee. She wrote some sort of letter, provided evidence but it's different for everyone.
As above the issue will be you've done 2 years of study at HE level (unless you drop out before your uni imposes fee liability usually in the first two weeks, it counts as a full year of funding entitlement) and you only get funding equal to:
Length of degree + 1 year ("gift year") - number of years of prior study
This means for any new full time degree you start from first year you will not get tuition fee funding for at least the first year and will need to self fund.
Unless you apply successfully for an additional year of funding under compelling personal reasons (CPR) with appropriate evidence (e.g. death certificate for bereavements, doctors letters etc for health issues, etc).
You can still get full funding for a part time course if you haven't earned a qualification.
However otherwise for a full time course this is potentially a significant financial factor to consider. You should still get whatever maintenance loan you ate entitled to though.
Length of degree + 1 year ("gift year") - number of years of prior study
This means for any new full time degree you start from first year you will not get tuition fee funding for at least the first year and will need to self fund.
Unless you apply successfully for an additional year of funding under compelling personal reasons (CPR) with appropriate evidence (e.g. death certificate for bereavements, doctors letters etc for health issues, etc).
You can still get full funding for a part time course if you haven't earned a qualification.
However otherwise for a full time course this is potentially a significant financial factor to consider. You should still get whatever maintenance loan you ate entitled to though.
bloody ridiculous how we consider it a 'gift' to get another year of a high interest loan when a little over 20 years ago university was free, and you even got a grant for it. New labour are an abomination.
Original post by ohyegodsmyroast
bloody ridiculous how we consider it a 'gift' to get another year of a high interest loan when a little over 20 years ago university was free, and you even got a grant for it. New labour are an abomination.
even pre-tuition fees there was only 1 "gift" year - the difference was that instead of not getting a tuition fee loan for the additional year you had to pay the Local Authority fee (which was around £1000pa)
Original post by PQ
even pre-tuition fees there was only 1 "gift" year - the difference was that instead of not getting a tuition fee loan for the additional year you had to pay the Local Authority fee (which was around £1000pa)
right so not quite the same thing at all
Original post by unsweetenedblue
I went last year at 18, and dropped out early Jan, as i had decided i had stayed too close to home (commuted). I am now at another university much further (4 hours away) a year later, and so unsure of myself. I thought i was extremely keen to learn on my course (Biology) but am coming to realise I should’ve followed my true passion for Fine Art (i declined an unconditional offer and feel like an idiot for it). As much as i do enjoy learning Biology, it’s so so much, and I really dont see it as something i want to do long term/career wise. The uni itself i feel is also not for me, i have absolutely no real friends at all. It is a very small/cliquey uni and i came expecting people to be much nicer than they are - people all already seem to have little groups of friends and i feel quite isolated. It’s also not a “top” university if that makes sense. I am at the moment really keen ok dropping out and working part-time this year, and possibly starting again at uni for Fine Art next academic year. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about how this would work with student finance? Anything helps, thank you
As has been mentioned you’ll now have to fund your next first year of university (or any further resits).
Have you considered suspending your studies. Take some time away from university figure out what you actually want from university. Rather then keeping on moving on to the next thing when you are dissatisfied with what you signed up for.
just know you aren't alone, I'm in a similar position to you (right now I'm studying 1st year computer science) and last year I went to another uni at 18 doing a completely different course but I dropped out after a month. i'm also unsure whether my course is for me and I'm really struggling, and I don't want to take another gap year but the UCAS deadline has already passed 
how are things working out for you?
how are things working out for you?
Original post by Anonymous #1
just know you aren't alone, I'm in a similar position to you (right now I'm studying 1st year computer science) and last year I went to another uni at 18 doing a completely different course but I dropped out after a month. i'm also unsure whether my course is for me and I'm really struggling, and I don't want to take another gap year but the UCAS deadline has already passed how are things working out for you?
how are things working out for you?I mean this in the kindest way possible, but why don't you go do something else for a while? Work for a bit and figure out what you actually want from life, what course you want to commit to (if indeed you do want to commit at all). Flip-flopping about says to me that you're not really sure on a direction. You shouldn't stick with one just because you have no better ideas yet.
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