mature student - top up degree finance options

Having left sixth form many years ago without any a-levels, I decided to complete an Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education (equal to the first year undergraduate study - FHEQ Level 4) in order to help ease my route back into education and hopefully build the foundations for potential university study. Since completing my part-time course I am now completing a undergraduate diploma in English literature (stated as "FHEQ 5 offering 60 CATS and is equivalent to half of the first year of full-time undergraduate study" - I am assuming due to only being a low number of CATS it is only regarded as one half first year rather than second. Anyway having secured student finance for my Certificate ONLY yet self funded my diploma I am hoping to go on and apply for a degree in History and Modern Languages but the chance is I will have to enter university in year 1 (my previous qualifications have been taken with university's continuing education departments via distance and part-time learning, not on campus). I wanted to know whether I would be able to get student finance funding for my degree or whether I would only be able to get it from second or third year as when applying to university for a bachelor's degree I will and only ever have had held a first year undergraduate and nothing higher. If I am unable to get any standard finance funding for any of my degree at all is there any other way I can get funding cos I simply cant afford to self fund an entire degree.