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Repeating a year for the second time, Will I get student finance?

Hello,
I am wondering if in my position, I would still get student finance for the remainder of my course or if I will have to look at attempting to fund this myself, or possibly giving it up all together (which is a daunting prospect.) I am in my second year of university, but I would have been in my third and graduating now if I had passed last year. I have now failed my re sit of the second year (not due to bad grades, due to non attempts.) I have read somewhere that student finance only fund your course duration (plus an additional year which I already had this year in my resit) but can "write out" a year of finance if there are compelling enough reasons (which I believe I have) therefore, giving you an extra year entitlement back. If you are wondering what my circumstances are then I will detail them bellow, but my main question and concern is above.

At the start of my second year, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I had an awful pregnancy and I was hospitalised for the majority of it meaning I was unable to attend lectures and did not complete some assignments. In March (when the resits where due) I gave birth 16 weeks early to my daughter who was extremely pre-term and ill and in a specialist hospital 80 miles away from my home. I was also very sick as I had pre-eclampsia and lost a lot of blood. I could not complete these resits due to this. In the June resits I worked tirelessly to sit all my exams and redo all the assignments. However, I failed two units because I had done the original question opposed to the resit title which was heartbreaking and I prepared to resit the year.

2016/17 and the resit of the year has been nothing but a mess. My daughter was discharged in November but she has a variety of serious health conditions including being on continuous home oxygen. I have struggled to find childcare because of her conditions and no one wanting to provide it because of these, I have been relying on family to watch her so I haven't been attending as much as I should. In around March I gave up all together and was in a bad mental state. I was diagnosed with PTSD from my daughters birth as well as bipolar. I started acting like uni didn't exist, I stopped doing assignments and going to lectures all together.

I now realise how important university is for not just me, but my daughters future. I already have a job lined up for when I graduate with a family member, which obviously without a degree will not happen. I have been set on this career choice from a young age and I don't want this experience and my mental health to jeopardise that. I am now taking medication and in therapy, come September I feel my health would have improved even further to the point I feel I can attend and thrive at uni again. But before considering going back in September, I want to ensure this is financially an option before getting my hopes up.
So sorry to hear about what you've gone through. I can say that there is a 99.999% chance if not 100% chance of you being granted Compelling Personal Reasons status for Student Finance and therefore gaining another year of finance. What you have been through is clearly exactly the kind of thing CPR is designed for. However Student Finance are very beaurocratic and therefore you need to spell out in every single way how your issues have impacted on your previous study and you failing to complete your course. Write down what you told us to them and anything else you find relevant. And gather as many detailed supporting statements from medical professionals and your lecturers or anyone else at your university with their contact details provided to back up your account - make sure their accounts are as comprehensive as possible, outlining everything about your case and how it affected you and your studies. As I said at the start you're pretty much guaranteed to be awarded CPR status, there is something seriously wrong if you aren't and if that unlikely thing happens contact your local MP or Citizen's Advice.
Post this in the student finance section and someone from student finance should be able to answer your question


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Original post by sian932
Hello,
I am wondering if in my position, I would still get student finance for the remainder of my course or if I will have to look at attempting to fund this myself, or possibly giving it up all together (which is a daunting prospect.) I am in my second year of university, but I would have been in my third and graduating now if I had passed last year. I have now failed my re sit of the second year (not due to bad grades, due to non attempts.) I have read somewhere that student finance only fund your course duration (plus an additional year which I already had this year in my resit) but can "write out" a year of finance if there are compelling enough reasons (which I believe I have) therefore, giving you an extra year entitlement back. If you are wondering what my circumstances are then I will detail them bellow, but my main question and concern is above.

At the start of my second year, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I had an awful pregnancy and I was hospitalised for the majority of it meaning I was unable to attend lectures and did not complete some assignments. In March (when the resits where due) I gave birth 16 weeks early to my daughter who was extremely pre-term and ill and in a specialist hospital 80 miles away from my home. I was also very sick as I had pre-eclampsia and lost a lot of blood. I could not complete these resits due to this. In the June resits I worked tirelessly to sit all my exams and redo all the assignments. However, I failed two units because I had done the original question opposed to the resit title which was heartbreaking and I prepared to resit the year.

2016/17 and the resit of the year has been nothing but a mess. My daughter was discharged in November but she has a variety of serious health conditions including being on continuous home oxygen. I have struggled to find childcare because of her conditions and no one wanting to provide it because of these, I have been relying on family to watch her so I haven't been attending as much as I should. In around March I gave up all together and was in a bad mental state. I was diagnosed with PTSD from my daughters birth as well as bipolar. I started acting like uni didn't exist, I stopped doing assignments and going to lectures all together.

I now realise how important university is for not just me, but my daughters future. I already have a job lined up for when I graduate with a family member, which obviously without a degree will not happen. I have been set on this career choice from a young age and I don't want this experience and my mental health to jeopardise that. I am now taking medication and in therapy, come September I feel my health would have improved even further to the point I feel I can attend and thrive at uni again. But before considering going back in September, I want to ensure this is financially an option before getting my hopes up.


Hi


That sounds like quite a journey. I would second what ironandbeef said and believe you have a very high chance of meeting the criteria. I rarely say certain, but its very high imo.

Presumably your uni know and are sympathetic to your travails. Do as iron and beef said and imagine that the SFE reviewer needs to check and confirm your story, thus supporting evidence is vital and from as many independent sources as possible.

Tutor/ department
GP
Dr
Social worker
Therapist etc

This leaflet is quite good on explaining the process.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ybs6ymfc

Best of luck but I think it will be fine. Dont go back till you are ready though.

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