Starting a new degree

Hi,

I need a bit of help if that’s okay.

I attended university in 2013 to do sport science. I completed my first year (with a lot of bumps) and started my second year. I attended 2 weeks and then sufffered a severe bout of depression. I did try to keep up my attendance but my mental health was extremely poor. So I tried to go back at (what would have been the beginning of my third year) but I repeated my second year. I still couldn’t do it because of my depression.

This year I am medicated and I am starting telephone CBT and I feel I want to start a new uni course.

I will be contacting student finance to see what I am entitled to but what do you think I will be entitled to??

Thanks for any help :smile:

Reply 1

Laura S SFE

Official Rep

Hi Donkey27,

Glad to hear you are feeling better. If you were to return to start a new course that is classed as designated for NHS funding in a healthcare related subject then these are exception courses where we wouldn't take into account your previous study so you would be eligible to apply for full funding for the whole of the new course.

For other courses we would look at the length of the new course and we would add on an additional year of funding and then we would deduct any years of previous study that you have had to calculate your entitlement. So for example if you wanted to return to do a three year degree course based on having three years previous study your entitlement calculation would be as follows: 3 + 1 - 3 = 1 year full funding remaining.

We award the years full funding to the end of your new course so that would mean for the first and second year of your new course you would have to pay your own tuition fees and would only be eligible for Maintenance Loan (ML) funding, which can be means-tested (based on household income). You would also be able to apply for Supplementary Grants (if applicable) such as Parents' Learning Allowances, Childcare Grant, Adult Dependants' Grant and Disabled Students' Allowances.

Since there are mitigating circumstances that caused you to have to repeat your second year, if you are able to send in evidence for this you could apply for Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR).

You would send us in a covering letter to request this including details of your ill health and if possible get a signed and dated letter on headed paper from your GP/health professional confirming the reasons why you couldn't continue/progress with your studies and dates of when this has taken place. We can also accept a letter from your University confirming the same information as well. If CPR is accepted you would be able to apply for full funding including Tuition Fee Loan (TFL).

You would need to apply for your new course so that we have an application on the system to apply the CPR against, if it was accepted. If you send evidence in prior to that we will hold it on file until you return to your studies.

Thanks

Laura