The Student Room Group

Can I still get financial help eventhough I had some for the OU?

Hi everyone! I'm totally new here! *waves*
I have a place at uni for September 2018 and I will be 29 when my course starts (when did that happen?! I feel so old 😂). I'm currently unemployed but when I get a job I will only be working part time (about 2 days maximum). I live a little while away from my uni and I can't drive so travel costs are definitely a worry.

My main worry though is funding. I don't have a degree but I did have some funding before to study with the Open University for about 3 years but had to drop out due to circumstances beyond my control (and the OU were as helpful as a chocolate teapot on steroids!) so I have no qualification from them and I'm hoping so so sooo hard that won't affect me getting funding from SFE because I need funding in order to go to uni (which I am so excited about starting! I'm literally counting down the months until September!)

I also have depression and anxiety which I take medication for, I don't claim any benefits or anything and studying is hard enough without these two constantly pestering me! I have had assignment extensions in the past for when these conditions have flared up and I had a bursary payment each week from my college in 2016-2017 and had an Advanced Learner Loan which was so hugely helpful so I could go to college!

I'm sorry if I have rambled on, I'm not sure what other information anyone needs and am scared everyone will say NO YOU WON'T GET FUNDING because of the OU wasting my time and other stuff which of course sets off the anxiety which then sets off worries and well you can all probably see I've had to work up the courage to ask about this! (I'm not very good on phones at all so at least with writing things on here I can get it all out without worrying about if people can understand me/if I can understand them)

I'm sorry for the big post everyone but help would be so appreciated! <3
Original post by kitkat89
Hi everyone! I'm totally new here! *waves*
I have a place at uni for September 2018 and I will be 29 when my course starts (when did that happen?! I feel so old 😂). I'm currently unemployed but when I get a job I will only be working part time (about 2 days maximum). I live a little while away from my uni and I can't drive so travel costs are definitely a worry.

My main worry though is funding. I don't have a degree but I did have some funding before to study with the Open University for about 3 years but had to drop out due to circumstances beyond my control (and the OU were as helpful as a chocolate teapot on steroids!) so I have no qualification from them and I'm hoping so so sooo hard that won't affect me getting funding from SFE because I need funding in order to go to uni (which I am so excited about starting! I'm literally counting down the months until September!)

I also have depression and anxiety which I take medication for, I don't claim any benefits or anything and studying is hard enough without these two constantly pestering me! I have had assignment extensions in the past for when these conditions have flared up and I had a bursary payment each week from my college in 2016-2017 and had an Advanced Learner Loan which was so hugely helpful so I could go to college!

I'm sorry if I have rambled on, I'm not sure what other information anyone needs and am scared everyone will say NO YOU WON'T GET FUNDING because of the OU wasting my time and other stuff which of course sets off the anxiety which then sets off worries and well you can all probably see I've had to work up the courage to ask about this! (I'm not very good on phones at all so at least with writing things on here I can get it all out without worrying about if people can understand me/if I can understand them)

I'm sorry for the big post everyone but help would be so appreciated! <3


Hi kitkat89,

To help you better let me ask you a few questions,

First of all the course that you will be undertaking from September 2018 is it a degree course, how long will it last ?

Secondly, just to confirm the only previous study that you have had was part time ?

Finally can I ask are you married or living with a partner?

Thanks Rona
Reply 2
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kitkat89
OP
2
Original post by Rona SFE
Hi kitkat89,

To help you better let me ask you a few questions,

First of all the course that you will be undertaking from September 2018 is it a degree course, how long will it last ?

Secondly, just to confirm the only previous study that you have had was part time ?

Finally can I ask are you married or living with a partner?

Thanks Rona


Hi Rona :smile:

I'm very sorry for the late reply I've been really unwell (thanks brain! -_-)

In answer to your questions:
1) Yes my course is a degree. It starts in September 2018 and it will last for 3 years.
2) Other than further education which was full time, the only other study I have done was part time.
3) No I am not married or living with a partner.

Thanks for getting back to me :smile:

kitkat89 :smile:
Original post by kitkat89
Hi Rona :smile:

I'm very sorry for the late reply I've been really unwell (thanks brain! -_-)

In answer to your questions:
1) Yes my course is a degree. It starts in September 2018 and it will last for 3 years.
2) Other than further education which was full time, the only other study I have done was part time.
3) No I am not married or living with a partner.

Thanks for getting back to me :smile:

kitkat89 :smile:


Hi kitkat89,

As you have not gained a qualification at the Open University, this means that you will be entitled to the full package of support for your full time degree, I have included a link for the funding calculator this will give you an estimate of how much you will be entitled to.

https://bit.ly/1eWRiXJ

Thanks

Catherine
Reply 4
Avatar for kitkat89
kitkat89
OP
2
Original post by Catherine SFE
Hi kitkat89,

As you have not gained a qualification at the Open University, this means that you will be entitled to the full package of support for your full time degree, I have included a link for the funding calculator this will give you an estimate of how much you will be entitled to.

https://bit.ly/1eWRiXJ

Thanks

Catherine


Ah wow thankyou Catherine that's marvelous!!!

Unfortunately the online application never works for me so I managed to track down a paper one but I have a few questions:

1) Eventhough I’ve had funding for the OU before and had to certify my identity in 2016 again, do I have to do it yet again?

I don’t have a passport but my doctor has said she’d be happy to do it for me. The problem is I only moved into this area in September last year (I moved across the country from Suffolk up to Lancashire) and the “Birth/Adoption Certificate Form” says that the person verifying me has to have known me for at least 2 years but she’d only known me since December last year. So she said that if SFE would be willing to waive that 2 years criteria then she’d be happy to verify my identity.

2) What is a direct entrant?

3) Section 5 A4 – does it want details of my OU modules or doesn’t it? This bit is really confusing because in one part it seems to want details but in another part of the question it doesn't.

4) Question A5 wants evidence of why I had to leave my OU degree but I don’t know what evidence I could give about the OU refusing to help me when I really needed them.

5) Loan request contact details – I only have my dad who lives at the same address as me. He’ll be staying at this address whenever it is I can move out. I do not have another contact and don’t have any other family. Is this going to be enough as the form seems to want 2 contacts when I don’t have that.

I really hope some one can help me on here, I'm struggling alot with phones right now (worse than usual) so would really appreciate some help! :smile:

Kind regards,

kitkat89 ^_^

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