The Student Room Group

Financial help available that isn't SFE

Earlier this academic year, I withdrew from an undergraduate course while I was in the 2nd year. I've decided that I want to go back to education and start a new course next year (for which I've already been accepted). I am aware that tuition fee is available only for the duration of the course + 1 year so altogether 4 years. This would mean that I'd only get funding for 2 years of my next course. My two questions therefore are;

a) Would I not receive any funding at all in the 3rd year (i.e no maintenance loan)? Or would it just be the tuition fee loan I'd be missing?

and more importantly

b) What financial help would be available to me? I have seen adverts for Future Finance, does anyone know whether they're good?
Original post by alan.cieslar
Earlier this academic year, I withdrew from an undergraduate course while I was in the 2nd year. I've decided that I want to go back to education and start a new course next year (for which I've already been accepted). I am aware that tuition fee is available only for the duration of the course + 1 year so altogether 4 years. This would mean that I'd only get funding for 2 years of my next course. My two questions therefore are;

a) Would I not receive any funding at all in the 3rd year (i.e no maintenance loan)? Or would it just be the tuition fee loan I'd be missing?

and more importantly

b) What financial help would be available to me? I have seen adverts for Future Finance, does anyone know whether they're good?

a) SFE will front load any missing years - so it would be your first year that would be unfunded. ANd it's likely to be both tuition fees and maintenance loan: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/fees-and-funding/undergraduate-student-funding/previous-studies

b) avoid future finance if at all possible - just because they target students doesn't mean they're good for students. Most of what they offer is only suitable for very short term loans. It's worth talking to universities you're applying to to find out if they have any scholarships or bursaries available that you're eligible for. See if they offer any financing options for tuition fees to students in your situation which would allow you to spread the cost of your first year fees over the length of your course. Also what student hardship funds prioritise and whether they'll allow you to apply. At the same time get looking through https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/ and apply for every single possible grant available to you - you're unlikely to get a single grant that would cover all of your costs but if you can get funding from multiple sources then you could deal with a lot of the debts. Investigate what student bank accounts and overdrafts are an option - if you've already got an interest free overdraft from your current studies then see if you can open a second account with another interest free overdraft. Finally get working and saving - the more you can save (and the more you can get used to living on the bare minimum) the better set up you'll be to get through the first year and then pay back any short term debts ASAP once you get into your second year and start to get SFE funding again.

Did you leave at the end of 2nd year? If not and you didn't get full support for that year then you might be able to get partial support in your first year.

Alternatively is there any way you could start in Year 2 of your new degree?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by PQ
a) SFE will front load any missing years - so it would be your first year that would be unfunded. ANd it's likely to be both tuition fees and maintenance loan: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/fees-and-funding/undergraduate-student-funding/previous-studies

b) avoid future finance if at all possible - just because they target students doesn't mean they're good for students. Most of what they offer is only suitable for very short term loans. It's worth talking to universities you're applying to to find out if they have any scholarships or bursaries available that you're eligible for. See if they offer any financing options for tuition fees to students in your situation which would allow you to spread the cost of your first year fees over the length of your course. Also what student hardship funds prioritise and whether they'll allow you to apply. At the same time get looking through https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/ and apply for every single possible grant available to you - you're unlikely to get a single grant that would cover all of your costs but if you can get funding from multiple sources then you could deal with a lot of the debts. Investigate what student bank accounts and overdrafts are an option - if you've already got an interest free overdraft from your current studies then see if you can open a second account with another interest free overdraft. Finally get working and saving - the more you can save (and the more you can get used to living on the bare minimum) the better set up you'll be to get through the first year and then pay back any short term debts ASAP once you get into your second year and start to get SFE funding again.

Did you leave at the end of 2nd year? If not and you didn't get full support for that year then you might be able to get partial support in your first year.

Alternatively is there any way you could start in Year 2 of your new degree?


Just a few things to correct in your post
1) In the OP's case they would still be entitled to a maintenance loan. There is no limit to the number of years someone without a degree can claim that. This can be seen in the bottom half of that link you posted.
2) Some banks have in their T&C's that they should be your sole student bank account, and overdrafts are often active only when a certain amount of money is put into the account- otherwise banks reserve the right to withdraw the overdraft.
2) Student finance count partial years as full years for the purpose of calculating tuition fee loan entitlement. Doesn't matter if OP only did a partial year, they still loose a full years entitlement.
Original post by jelly1000
Just a few things to correct in your post
1) In the OP's case they would still be entitled to a maintenance loan. There is no limit to the number of years someone without a degree can claim that. This can be seen in the bottom half of that link you posted.
2) Some banks have in their T&C's that they should be your sole student bank account, and overdrafts are often active only when a certain amount of money is put into the account- otherwise banks reserve the right to withdraw the overdraft.
2) Student finance count partial years as full years for the purpose of calculating tuition fee loan entitlement. Doesn't matter if OP only did a partial year, they still loose a full years entitlement.

1) thanks for that. Muddling myself:smile:
2) most will wait 12 months before withdrawing services like overdrafts. It's far from ideal but someone starting a degree from scratch will generally have the evidence that they need to start a second account. It's not great but beats the crap out of using credit cards or payday lenders to get through a year or more without funding.
3) I know students who have suspended after 1 term and had funding continued when they resumed to complete the year a year later (without the suspended period counting against their gift year). Anyone withdrawing within 2 weeks is counted as a no show. Add in the rules around compelling personal reasons and there can be a number of circumstances where a partial year isn't counted as a full year.
Original post by PQ
1) thanks for that. Muddling myself:smile:
2) most will wait 12 months before withdrawing services like overdrafts. It's far from ideal but someone starting a degree from scratch will generally have the evidence that they need to start a second account. It's not great but beats the crap out of using credit cards or payday lenders to get through a year or more without funding.
3) I know students who have suspended after 1 term and had funding continued when they resumed to complete the year a year later (without the suspended period counting against their gift year). Anyone withdrawing within 2 weeks is counted as a no show. Add in the rules around compelling personal reasons and there can be a number of circumstances where a partial year isn't counted as a full year.


There is a difference between resuming a year and restarting it completely as the OP wants to do. Totally forgot about the extenuating circumstances exemptions though.
Thanks everyone for the replies. I withdrew halfway through the first term of my 2nd year. I'm wanting to start a completely different course at another university. So, from what I've gathered, I'd have to fund the £9000 for the first your by myself? And then the next 2 years would be funded?
Original post by alan.cieslar
Thanks everyone for the replies. I withdrew halfway through the first term of my 2nd year. I'm wanting to start a completely different course at another university. So, from what I've gathered, I'd have to fund the £9000 for the first your by myself? And then the next 2 years would be funded?


Yes correct, unless you withdrew due to extenuating circumstances e.g. a health problem or a parent or sibling died or something like that and you have evidence.

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