Hello all!
I know this has been asked a few times but I still can't find the information I'm looking for.
As the title I'm currently getting out of the army on a medical discharge(April 16)
I'm 22 and have a child.
I'v always wanted to go to uni but decided the forces was a better way.
I have 4 GCSEs and a few level 2 nvqs
My questions are
What financial help will I get?
How do I go about applying?
What are my accomadation choices?
And a general insite if anyone has actually done this.
Thanks
Ryan.
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Ryantw
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- 05-11-2015 22:25
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- 06-11-2015 09:23
(Original post by Ryantw)
Hello all!
I know this has been asked a few times but I still can't find the information I'm looking for.
As the title I'm currently getting out of the army on a medical discharge(April 16)
I'm 22 and have a child.
I'v always wanted to go to uni but decided the forces was a better way.
I have 4 GCSEs and a few level 2 nvqs
The minimum for most degrees now will be some kind of recent study (usually a one year Access course, but see what your uni(s) say), and grade C in GCSE English and Maths to ensure basic levels of literacy and numeracy.
What financial help will I get?
Everyone gets a set amount of Student Finance for uni for their lifetime, so if you haven't been to uni before this will be: Number of years of your degree + One year. The "grace" year allows for one resit year or starting out on the wrong degree and beginning a new one from scratch. You will only get that extra year's funding if you need it.
From Sep 2016, you will get a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. You may get additional money for childcare, but from what I've read on TSR it can be a bit difficult to get and it isn't particularly generous (no student funding is!)
Your Tuition Fee Loan covers the entire cost of your course tuition fees. It's paid direct from Studrnt Finance to your uni - you never see it.
The Maintenance Loan is paid to you, usually in three installments through the academic year. Part of it is a core amount which everyone gets. This can be "topped up" with an amount based on your household income (that of your partner if you live with them). It is quite a modest amount of money, and is based on the assumption that most students are school leavers whose parents can help them out. You might find things quite tight with a family, but others do manage it. Get an estimate of your entitlement from the official calculator:
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator
Interest is added to the amount loaned, from the date of your first payment. You start repaying in small sums as deductions from your wages after you graduate. You wouldn't repay anything until you earned £21,000 or over. If you earn below that or you don't earn anything at all, you won't have to make repayments.
How do I go about applying?
When you're ready to apply for uni, you use the UCAS system:
https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track
For Student Finance, you'd apply here:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance
However, you are probably a year or more away from thinking about it. Applications usually open in the January/February before the September when you start.
What are my accomadation choices?Last edited by Klix88; 06-11-2015 at 11:53. -
The University of Sheffield
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- 06-11-2015 15:08
(Original post by Ryantw)
Hello all!
I know this has been asked a few times but I still can't find the information I'm looking for.
As the title I'm currently getting out of the army on a medical discharge(April 16)
I'm 22 and have a child.
I'v always wanted to go to uni but decided the forces was a better way.
I have 4 GCSEs and a few level 2 nvqs
My questions are
What financial help will I get?
How do I go about applying?
What are my accomadation choices?
And a general insite if anyone has actually done this.
Thanks
Ryan.
Many universities have entry routes for mature students and offer courses that are designed for people returning to education. It's very likely that you will be advised to take a foundation course. This type of course can take up to a year and is designed to develop your study skills, get you back into the habit of studying, and introduce you to your chosen subject before you start a university degree. Usually, if you pass the foundation year you progress directly onto the first year of a degree course.
If you are considering coming to Sheffield, I'd recommend talking to our Department for Lifelong Learning:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dll/ Their website outlines the courses we have available, entry requirements, information about funding and finance, and interviews with mature students who have studied at Sheffield. The Department is also having an open evening on the 3rd December, 5-8pm, where you can meet staff and receive one-to-one advice and information. You can reserve your place at this event at:
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/dll/event...ays/rediscover
Good luck with your new direction and future studies.
Best regards
Elizabeth
UK/EU Student Recruitment Officer -
skeptical_john
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- 06-11-2015 18:17
There is specialist help out there for ex-forces. May be worth checking in with a charity/company that handles the transition to civi life?
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- 06-11-2015 18:23
Just a note of caution on the above info about foundation degrees. Many degrees don't have a foundation entry route, although they may be more common at some unis (like Sheffield - I don't know their specifics). I know that my local uni axed all foundation years and degrees about four years ago.
It's certainly worth investigating for your preferred subject though. Most foundation years/degrees (excluding art courses which are below uni level) will attract full Student Finance of both a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan, making them a lot easier financially than an Access course. -
Schadenfreude65
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- 07-11-2015 01:00
OP isn't old enough to qualify for a 24+ loan, but as Skeptical_john says, there may be other sources of funding for ex-military personnel.
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!!mentor!!
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- 07-11-2015 01:01
(Original post by Ryantw)
Hello all!
I know this has been asked a few times but I still can't find the information I'm looking for.
As the title I'm currently getting out of the army on a medical discharge(April 16)
I'm 22 and have a child.
I'v always wanted to go to uni but decided the forces was a better way.
I have 4 GCSEs and a few level 2 nvqs
My questions are
What financial help will I get?
How do I go about applying?
What are my accomadation choices?
And a general insite if anyone has actually done this.
Thanks
Ryan.
To apply you go onto the UCAS website but as has already been stated, you'll need to either go on an access course or undertake a foundation year (as I did). The accommodation depends on the uni. My uni have single rooms, self contained flats or they can help you find accommodation in the private sector. If you have any further questions then let me know. -
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- 05-01-2016 20:03
Im being medically discharged from the army in march through spinal injury, All ex personal are offered ELCAS, depending on your time of service you can claim between £1000 and £2000 every financial year I believe towards any HE/FE course level 3 or above but you have to contribute 20% of the course fee out of your own pocket. Im in the same boat I only have level 2's so worth looking at any foundation or level 3 courses as approved by ELCAS. Im 28 and would like to retrain but im not sure I could afford to be a student full time as Im not sure on what other civvie grants I am entitled too. Good luck. Stag on.
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