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SFE rejected funding for BioMed FT Undergrad Course HELP

Hello,

I wonder if anyone may be able to help, or has found themselves in a similar situation.
I'm a 2nd time around student studying an Access to HE in science, and plan to go on to study Biomedical Science in September.
I have submitted my SFE application and have received the following message, despite previously being told I would be eligible (by SFE) even as a 2nd degree (as previous not in HC) as it was considered an Allied Health course:

"Thanks for your application for student finance. As the qualification
you’ll get from your new course is the same level as the qualification you
already hold you won’t get full student finance for your course.

What this means for you
For the length of your course you won’t get a Tuition Fee Loan or a
Maintenance Loan."

The message I received from SFE via a University that I have applied to stated the following:

"I can advise that if the student is applying for finance with Student Finance England, our Biomedical Science course counts as subject allied to medicine, and thus the student may be eligible for limited funding, as per the Student Finance eligibility webpage. This is the same for both part time and full time study.

If the student is applying for finance with Student Finance Wales, our Biomedical Science course counts as subject allied to medicine and thus the student may be eligible for limited funding, if they study with us part time.

This is because, along with the other categories of courses on this list, subjects allied to medicine fall under the Equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) exceptions list".

I'm confused by the conflicting advice, and hoping someone may be able to shed some light on this please. I was under the impression that I could study an Allied Health course at degree level as a 2nd degree, if I had not already studied in this field, at this level, or at least, that my previous degree was equivalent to BMS Bsci, under the ELQ exceptions.
I will call SFE next week, but previous experience over the phone was not admittedly very helpful.

Thank you! :smile:
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

Original post by Manniiee
Hello,
I wonder if anyone may be able to help, or has found themselves in a similar situation.
I'm a 2nd time around student studying an Access to HE in science, and plan to go on to study Biomedical Science in September.
I have submitted my SFE application and have received the following message, despite previously being told I would be eligible (by SFE) even as a 2nd degree (as previous not in HC) as it was considered an Allied Health course:
"Thanks for your application for student finance. As the qualification
you’ll get from your new course is the same level as the qualification you
already hold you won’t get full student finance for your course.
What this means for you
For the length of your course you won’t get a Tuition Fee Loan or a
Maintenance Loan."
The message I received from SFE via a University that I have applied to stated the following:
"I can advise that if the student is applying for finance with Student Finance England, our Biomedical Science course counts as subject allied to medicine, and thus the student may be eligible for limited funding, as per the Student Finance eligibility webpage. This is the same for both part time and full time study.

If the student is applying for finance with Student Finance Wales, our Biomedical Science course counts as subject allied to medicine and thus the student may be eligible for limited funding, if they study with us part time.

This is because, along with the other categories of courses on this list, subjects allied to medicine fall under the Equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) exceptions list".
I'm confused by the conflicting advice, and hoping someone may be able to shed some light on this please. I was under the impression that I could study and Allied Health course at degree level as a 2nd degree, if I had not already studied in this field, at this level.
I will call SFE next week, but previous experience over the phone was not admittedly very helpful.
Thank you! :smile:

Just to add- if I am not eligible with it being a 2nd degree at the same level, could I study Biomedical Science Full-Time as an Msc instead perhaps? For example, Staffordshire university offer this. Thank you.
(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 2

Hi Manniiee,

I have provided the list of Allied Health Professional courses that are an exception to previous study and equal level qualification rules- Chiropody

Dental hygiene (Honours degree, diploma or foundation degree)

Dental therapy (Honours degree, diploma or foundation degree)

Dental hygiene and dental therapy (Joint or dual honours)

Dietetics

Dietetics and nutrition*

Midwifery (Degree Level)

Nursing (Degree Level)

Nursing and social work (Dual honours)

Occupational therapy

Operating department practice (Degree or diploma level)

Orthoptics

Physiotherapy

Podiatry

Prosthetics and Orthotics

Radiography

Radiotherapy

Speech and language therapy


However, Biological and Sport Science - this is an exception to previous study and equal level qualification rules, if you are part time only.

Thanks, Clare

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