Tuition fees withdrawn and gift years
I am hoping to start the final year of my undergraduate course this autumn, however Student Finance are refusing to provide tuition fees for this year as I repeated half of the second year and took funding for an aborted degree in 2000-01.
As far as student loans go, I can claim a loan for the coming year, but not tuition fees or maintenance, apparently not only am I not eligible for tuition fees for this year, but last year too! Although I have only claimed 3 years worth of funding resiting a year is counted as some sort of new application for funding (sort of like a different course of study, I guess, admittedly it makes no sense at all to me). So it seems that I didn't receive and tuition fees for last year, yet am still not allowed to claim any for this year; making me feel as if I've been cheated out of a year.
So as it now stands, I look responsible for paying half a years tuition for last year (1690,00) and the whole tuition for this year (3465,00) meaning I need to raise 5155,00 by October in order to finish the degree. Quite why none of this was made known to me at any point over the last year is beyond me.
I'm now waiting for student advice to call me back, although I am pessimistic about them having anything useful to tell me, but if anyone has any (constructive) advice what-so-ever I would dearly love to hear it as I have absolutely no way of raising this money.
As far as student loans go, I can claim a loan for the coming year, but not tuition fees or maintenance, apparently not only am I not eligible for tuition fees for this year, but last year too! Although I have only claimed 3 years worth of funding resiting a year is counted as some sort of new application for funding (sort of like a different course of study, I guess, admittedly it makes no sense at all to me). So it seems that I didn't receive and tuition fees for last year, yet am still not allowed to claim any for this year; making me feel as if I've been cheated out of a year.
So as it now stands, I look responsible for paying half a years tuition for last year (1690,00) and the whole tuition for this year (3465,00) meaning I need to raise 5155,00 by October in order to finish the degree. Quite why none of this was made known to me at any point over the last year is beyond me.
I'm now waiting for student advice to call me back, although I am pessimistic about them having anything useful to tell me, but if anyone has any (constructive) advice what-so-ever I would dearly love to hear it as I have absolutely no way of raising this money.
The course is three years, although I repeated half the second (for reasons beyond my control, rather than failing grades) and took a years funding for a course I didn't complete years ago.
I talked to someone at uni (university of the arts London) and they said that payments are required in full prior to enrolling on the year. This makes some modicum of sense to me in terms of the university ensuring that tuition fees are paid, as students which are self funding may drop out of the course making getting payments for outstanding tuition fees difficult, where-as those which are having their tuition fees funded and drop out will likely have any remaining payments for tuition fees guaranteed by student finance. Still waiting to hear back from a dedicated student adviser.
The thing that gets me, is that we are supposedly eligible for 3 years plus an extra year, totaling four. Yet Student Finance have only given me a total of three years funding and are refusing to pay any further tuition fees.
I talked to someone at uni (university of the arts London) and they said that payments are required in full prior to enrolling on the year. This makes some modicum of sense to me in terms of the university ensuring that tuition fees are paid, as students which are self funding may drop out of the course making getting payments for outstanding tuition fees difficult, where-as those which are having their tuition fees funded and drop out will likely have any remaining payments for tuition fees guaranteed by student finance. Still waiting to hear back from a dedicated student adviser.
The thing that gets me, is that we are supposedly eligible for 3 years plus an extra year, totaling four. Yet Student Finance have only given me a total of three years funding and are refusing to pay any further tuition fees.
(edited 11 years ago)
That's because that isn't how funding works, it isn't basically 4 years, it's length of course + a gift year - any previous years study. So for you it works out as 3 years + 1 year - 3 years = 1 year funding, so they should only give you the fees for your last year of the course. Half a year still counts as a full year to student finance, I'm afraid.
Original post by MoonGazer
That's because that isn't how funding works, it isn't basically 4 years, it's length of course + a gift year - any previous years study. So for you it works out as 3 years + 1 year - 3 years = 1 year funding, so they should only give you the fees for your last year of the course. Half a year still counts as a full year to student finance, I'm afraid.
Hi Moongazer,
You seem to be in the know, so if you studied for 2 years but only got finance for 1 is that classed as 1 or 2?
If you had to resit for reasons beyond your control why not apply for mitigating circumstances? I have read they take this into consideration if you have proof eg doctors certificate if medical reason.
Original post by MoonGazer
That's because that isn't how funding works, it isn't basically 4 years, it's length of course + a gift year - any previous years study. So for you it works out as 3 years + 1 year - 3 years = 1 year funding, so they should only give you the fees for your last year of the course. Half a year still counts as a full year to student finance, I'm afraid.
This is what I am confused by, I imagined I would still be eligible to receive tuition fees for the last year of the course but am not. I appreciate that half a year is still considered a whole year by student finance, but I didn't receive any for the half year, I have to pay this to the university. So am unsure how I have been paid for the last year of the course, unless they consider the 2nd year of my current degree course to be the last year?
I am still awaiting response from my university about my options, so let me illustrate more finely, as I appreciate all your help, but am still a little confused.
2000-01 1 year fully funded (original aborted degree)
2009-10 1 year fully funded (1st year of new degree)
2010-11 1 year fully funded (2nd year...)
2011-12 1 year no tuition or grant (resit of second year)
2012-13 1 year no tuition or grant (third year of new degree)
I asked student finance about mitigating circumstances, for which they (as you rightly say) require evidence. The problem in that respect is that they only seem willing to consider this evidence in relation to the 2000-01 course and not the repeated year, if they would consider any evidence from my current course I could easily provide it, for something over ten years ago is not really possible for me.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Clarelouise57
Hi Moongazer,
You seem to be in the know, so if you studied for 2 years but only got finance for 1 is that classed as 1 or 2?
If you had to resit for reasons beyond your control why not apply for mitigating circumstances? I have read they take this into consideration if you have proof eg doctors certificate if medical reason.
You seem to be in the know, so if you studied for 2 years but only got finance for 1 is that classed as 1 or 2?
If you had to resit for reasons beyond your control why not apply for mitigating circumstances? I have read they take this into consideration if you have proof eg doctors certificate if medical reason.
It doesn't matter whether you took finance.
Original post by tommygunatkins
This is what I am confused by, I imagined I would still be eligible to receive tuition fees for the last year of the course but am not. I appreciate that half a year is still considered a whole year by student finance, but I didn't receive any for the half year, I have to pay this to the university. So am unsure how I have been paid for the last year of the course, unless they consider the 2nd year of my current degree course to be the last year?
I am still awaiting response from my university about my options, so let me illustrate more finely, as I appreciate all your help, but am still a little confused.
2000-01 1 year fully funded (original aborted degree)
2009-10 1 year fully funded (1st year of new degree)
2010-11 1 year fully funded (2nd year...)
2011-12 1 year no tuition or grant (resit of second year)
2012-13 1 year no tuition or grant (third year of new degree)
I asked student finance about mitigating circumstances, for which they (as you rightly say) require evidence. The problem in that respect is that they only seem willing to consider this evidence in relation to the 2000-01 course and not the repeated year, if they would consider any evidence from my current course I could easily provide it, for something over ten years ago is not really possible for me.
I am still awaiting response from my university about my options, so let me illustrate more finely, as I appreciate all your help, but am still a little confused.
2000-01 1 year fully funded (original aborted degree)
2009-10 1 year fully funded (1st year of new degree)
2010-11 1 year fully funded (2nd year...)
2011-12 1 year no tuition or grant (resit of second year)
2012-13 1 year no tuition or grant (third year of new degree)
I asked student finance about mitigating circumstances, for which they (as you rightly say) require evidence. The problem in that respect is that they only seem willing to consider this evidence in relation to the 2000-01 course and not the repeated year, if they would consider any evidence from my current course I could easily provide it, for something over ten years ago is not really possible for me.
Hello, I'm in a similar situation, and have had enough 0845 phonecalls to SFE and SLC over the years to make my bill begin to rival my actual student debt.
Here's how they calcluate which years they fund:
1 funded 1st year
1 funded 2nd year
1 funded 3rd year
1 funded gift year
You used you "1st year" back in 2000-01, meaning your "gift year" was used to fund your second course's 1st year in 2009-10.
Your 2010-11 2nd year was funded as normal, and your 3rd year will be too. But having already used your "gift year" in 2009-10, your '2nd repeat' will have to be self-funded.
So you will get your 4 years of funding overall, just not in the order you might intuitively expect.
As for mitigating circumstances, do you have any documentation from SFE/SLC as to what counts, what doesn't, etc? details about what evidence they'd require, that sort of thing.
The terms & cons PDFs I've managed to dig up so far are sketchy, i'd really appreciate any help you could give me.
This is just the thing, I can't get any clear reason from student finance as to why I am only not getting my final year supported.
As far as discussing mitigating circumstances with them, they only mentioned using either a doctors note or a letter from the university detailing the reasons for withdrawing during the 2000-01 year, but didn't reveal what their criteria is as far as which circumstances they accept.
As far as discussing mitigating circumstances with them, they only mentioned using either a doctors note or a letter from the university detailing the reasons for withdrawing during the 2000-01 year, but didn't reveal what their criteria is as far as which circumstances they accept.
Original post by OU Student
It doesn't matter whether you took finance.
Hi,
I am in a similar situation now.
Just to clarify. If you repeat your first year, and haven't taken any student finance, and paid it from my own pocket. Will you lose an additional years funding??
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