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MA funding & extenuating circumstances - deferring/repeating a year

Hi I hope you can help with some advice about funding. I an mid way through the second year of my part-time MA at Arts University Plymouth (AUP).
In September my elderly mum severely fractured her back, needing a hospital stay and re-ablement care when she returned home. I didn't realise quite how much extra support she would need with all aspects of daily living in addition to NHS carers, so I have been very involved with caring for my mum since.

It's had a severe impact on my attendance and ability to engage with the course this year. In hindsight it would have been good to defer before the year started, however I had no idea how much care would be needed long term at that point.

AUP have granted me and extension on the first module deadline for work to you this year, however unfortunately this week my mum was admitted again to hospital with heart failure and possibly the start of dementia.

I am already primary career for my husband who has progressive Multiple Sclerosis, so the sudden additional caring responsibilities on top of that have completely derailed my studies.

I don't have any savings or money that I could use to fund a repeat year, so my question is what's the best way to proceed? Can I get a student finance loan, and restart my second year or defer and pick up where I left off?

Many thanks for any help or advice
Becky Blench

Reply 1

SFE Jason

Official Rep

Original post by Becky Blench

Hi I hope you can help with some advice about funding. I an mid way through the second year of my part-time MA at Arts University Plymouth (AUP).
In September my elderly mum severely fractured her back, needing a hospital stay and re-ablement care when she returned home. I didn't realise quite how much extra support she would need with all aspects of daily living in addition to NHS carers, so I have been very involved with caring for my mum since.
It's had a severe impact on my attendance and ability to engage with the course this year. In hindsight it would have been good to defer before the year started, however I had no idea how much care would be needed long term at that point.
AUP have granted me and extension on the first module deadline for work to you this year, however unfortunately this week my mum was admitted again to hospital with heart failure and possibly the start of dementia.
I am already primary career for my husband who has progressive Multiple Sclerosis, so the sudden additional caring responsibilities on top of that have completely derailed my studies.
I don't have any savings or money that I could use to fund a repeat year, so my question is what's the best way to proceed? Can I get a student finance loan, and restart my second year or defer and pick up where I left off?
Many thanks for any help or advice
Becky Blench

Hi Becky,

Thank you for your message and I'm sorry to hear this. Just to check so we can advise as we can't access accounts on this platform. How many years is your course originally meant to be and when do you now expect to complete the course? Are you currently looking to return next September? Thanks, Jason

Reply 2

Becky Blench

Hi my course should be two years part-time, and I am midway through my second year but haven't submitted this semesters module for assessment. My course was due tk finish in July 2025.

I'm not sure what is the best way forward, whether I can repeat my second year in its entirety starting in September 2025 and get an additional years student finance ma loan to do so?

Reply 3

Drew SLC

Official Rep

Hi Becky,

Just to confirm this is for a Postgraduate course? How many payments do you have left for this academic year? Have you spoke to the university about suspending your studies?

Thanks, Drew

Reply 4

Becky Blench

Hi Drew, it is Postgraduate course- 2 year part time MA.

I have had 1 payment of £2007.72 on 30.09.24, and the next 2 payments are due to be:
£2007.72 on 27.91.25
£2068.56 on 02.06.25

I spoke to my course leader who suggested submitting the 2nd of 3 units (unit 201) that span the 2 year course, and applying for deferral, restarting my studies in January 2026 to do my final unit (301).

He pointed out that i have had the tuition, starting in October this year, for unit 201 so he rhought that i could not repeat it, however:

Although I have a deadline extension for unit 201 until 28th February 2025, I have not submitted work yet.

I am on a practice based Textile Design MA abd have hardly been able to access the technical facilities this semester because of the sudden and very intense caring situation with my mum. It has severely impacted my studies this year, so repeating a year would enable me to get the practical and technical opportunities I had hoped for doing this MA.

Reply 5

Drew SLC

Official Rep

Hi Becky,

If you were to suspend your studies before the 2nd payment is made then we would not pay this but if you were then to return in January 2026 to complete the course the university could then send us a Change of Circumstances Resumption and you would be eligible for the rest of the funding that you have not received. Do you plan to suspend before the start of your 2nd term?

Thanks, Drew

Reply 6

Becky Blench

Original post by Drew SLC

Hi Becky,
If you were to suspend your studies before the 2nd payment is made then we would not pay this but if you were then to return in January 2026 to complete the course the university could then send us a Change of Circumstances Resumption and you would be eligible for the rest of the funding that you have not received. Do you plan to suspend before the start of your 2nd term?
Thanks, Drew

My tutor said I could decide on the 6th jan 2025, before my 3rd module starts, but that's the start of term, so would I need to do it by the end of this term?

Also is there any way I can get a loan for an extra payment so I could resume in September 2025, rather than Jan 2026?

Reply 7

Claire SFE

Official Rep

Original post by Becky Blench

My tutor said I could decide on the 6th jan 2025, before my 3rd module starts, but that's the start of term, so would I need to do it by the end of this term?
Also is there any way I can get a loan for an extra payment so I could resume in September 2025, rather than Jan 2026?

Hi Becky,

Postgraduate Master's Loan is normally a 1 time only product. This means there is no extra funding for repeat years.

If you withdraw from your course and then decided to reapply for a new master's course, you will be ineligible for further funding without Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR) being accepted.

Reasons for CPR:

•

Illness

•

Bereavement

•

Family crisis

•

Pregnancy

•

Unavoidable caring responsibility.

•

Removal of the course by the HEP

The above list is not exhaustive, as the reasons for CPR will depend on the student’s own circumstances. All CPR claims are unique and will be granted on their own merit.

The evidence would be a letter on headed paper signed/stamped and dated from someone in profession i.e. Doctor/lecturer who knows the CPR. They must know how it affected your studies and the dates it affected you. Once received it will be up to the assessor if this will be accepted or not.

Thanks,
Claire

Reply 8

Becky Blench

Thanks Claire, that's good to know.
Just to be clear,

-Can i apply for CPR just to repeat a year?

-If i have to withdraw from the course then reapply, would I be reapplying for the whole 2 year course or just the 2nd year?

Reply 9

Claire SFE

Official Rep

Original post by Becky Blench

Thanks Claire, that's good to know.
Just to be clear,
-Can i apply for CPR just to repeat a year?
-If i have to withdraw from the course then reapply, would I be reapplying for the whole 2 year course or just the 2nd year?

I would advise speaking to your university regarding whether you're repeating a year which means you can't get loan from us, or whether you're withdrawing from your course and reapplying for a new Postgraduate course to start from scratch.

Thanks,
Claire

Reply 10

Becky Blench

Thanks so much, I will talk to them about withdrawal from my course as that feels like the best option given the caring pressures on me currently, which will be increasing over the next few months as my mums been needing acute medical care again this week and just been diagnosed with heart failure and early stage dementia.

It really helps to know my chance to do an MA won't be lost forever if I have to withdraw from my current course whilst dealing with all this.

Really appreciate the advice on here
Best wishes
Becky

Reply 11