Student finance extenuating circumstances/adhd

Hey

Thought I’d make a post here as I’m struggling to get my head around what funding I’ve used and what I should do in my situation.

I attended a computing course with foundation in 2012 which was 3 and a half years long, which I was told at the time counted as a 4 year course? Which I ended up leaving.

I then went on to do a computing with foundation (4 year course) at a different university in 2013, which student finance funded as from my understanding at the time I had 5 years of funding - 1.

I completed my first year, except when I went onto the second year I made a mistake on the application and filled it out as year 1 of 3 rather than year 2 of 4! Using the wrong course code I believe!

I started the second year believing the issue would be resolved but without going into it further because honestly it’s traumatic, I ended up leaving just before the date at which the uni would’ve charged me tuition because I had no way of paying it.

The university let me go on intermission’ with the intent to return the next year with things resolved, however I was advised by student finance at the time that doing this had used up another year of funding regardless and for some reason I was not eligible so I dropped out completely, only to then be told later I had been eligible but since having fully dropped out I had used up a year of funding.

So for that year I received one maintenance loan payment but no tuition fee loan.

Fast forward almost 10 years and I’ve since been diagnosed with ADHD and suspected autism along with other issues and am doing a lot better with support and medication!

Looking back I’m trying to figure out what kind of funding I would still have available and weather it’s worth applying for extenuating circumstances and what this would entail (as I believe my mental health at the time along with the ADHD played a big part in things).


My understanding is that it is current length of course + 1 - length of previous study.

If I went back I would be going in on year 2 of a 4 year course including the foundation, so I imagine it would be -

4 + 1 - 3 = 2

So my understanding is that I have two years of funding left and would need to apply for a third via extenuating circumstances?


Has anyone had experience with this?


It’s a bit of a long shot and I’m not certain if going to university in my 30’s would be a good idea but I want to at least ask and figure out if it’s still an option!


Sorry for the long read!