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2 weeks of attendance, counts as a full year?!

Hi there! Looking for some help and fair reasoning to solve this. I'll get straight into it....

I'm having issues getting funding for my current 2nd year at university. Originally, I was studying an Engineering course which had an "access" year to it, so I completed my access year, my first year and then i started my second year then dropped out within 2 weeks. To student finance, this counts as 3 years of funding. Access year = gift year, First year = First year funding, 2 weeks of Second year = Second year of funding. IS THIS EVEN RIGHT?!

I started a new course, I went part time for the first year so I could be funded for it. Then got assurance from uni advisors that because any payments made to the second year of my course were fully reversed, it should not affect any 2nd year full time funding I may apply for in the future.

I transferred over to full time for the 2nd year of the new course. I was then told by Student Finance that those 2 weeks I spent on my 2nd year Engineering course (WHICH DID NOT COST THEM A PENNY), counts a full year of funding therefore I can't have another second year funding on my current course. But I can have a third.

I tried with a Compelling Personal Reasons, providing evidence from doctors and tutors from the uni who knew it was the best for me to change courses. I started to get migraines and anxiety over the first year of my Engineering course because of the work load, I battled through, trying to make something of that year. Second year then loomed, and the first look at the course content for the year sent me back to square one of all the stress and anxiety of my first year, so I chose to leave the course.

This CPR evidence has been rejected, as it does not explain why those 2 weeks need to be wiped off the slate. Which, to me, it completely ridiculous.

Those 2 weeks of my in second year did not cost Student Finance, A PENNY. Yet it's still be encounted for as a full year of funding? This really doesn't seem fair to me.

No idea where to go from here, there isn't anymore evidence I can provide. And the whole stress of trying to figure out where on earth to pull £7,500 from for this year of uni is making me feel like the absolute worst. I finally find something I love to study in life, and there's so many unjustifable barriers to it. :frown:

Any help or ideas, would be REALLY well received.

Thanks for reading, take care. XxXx

Reply 1

Mark Lee - SFE Official Adviser

Official Rep

Hi alexandria_

An access course is usually below level 4 and would not be counted towards previous study.
Any years that you start a course are classed as using a year of study so the 2 full time years would count.
If you did not gain a qualification from your part-time year, this will not be counted towards full time.

If you were going into year 2 of a full time course your funding would be calculated as 3+1=4 if the course was 3 years or 4+1=5 for a 4 year course.
We then remove any previous years of full time study which would be 2 and this shows how many years you have remaining. So 2 years for the 3 year course or 3 years for the 4 year course.
If you went straight into year 2, you would have funding to cover the course from that year onwards.
There are some exceptions to this and it will depend what the university have advised us.

I would advise you to call us to check the access course year: 0300 100 0607

Thanks