Benefits and tuition loans - Birkbeck -evening degree - London

[GimmeAy]

AIBU to ask for your collective wisdom as usual?

I'm currently on benefits due to illness (incl. PIP).

I took a vague notion today inspired by reading Michelle Obama's book, that I could look at getting a degree (finally). I would be a very mature student. Looking at entry 2021. And I have no idea of knowing what way my health will go. But I figured getting further education would be a good way of explaining my absence from work for a period of time (almost 2 years now) rather than stating - Depression! I thought it might make me more employable.

So I was looking at Birkbeck in London which does evening degrees.

My question is whether I could retain my benefits to live off and get a student loan/finance for the tuition fees?

Does anyone know much about it/fees/benefits etc?

Or could I indeed study full time and retain benefits. The reason I looked at the evening degree is my health is on the up and God willing I will be back working full time by 2021. That said, I'm not a typical student who can live at home and get a part time job.

Yikes, 1 vote to say I'm BU and no comment?

Birkbeck might be the best place to go for advice - they have student support teams that should be able to answer you pretty quickly. It may depend on what level of qualification you have already as to what grants you could get. If you don't already gave a degree, I think that is a positive for getting funding for one, but I'm no expert. Best wishes!

I went to Birkbeck, it's a great place! I would email the widening access team there, they will deal with this stuff all the time as they specialise in mature learners. You're definitely not too old to get a degree.

Ye, I've left a voice message with them today as coincidentally they had a virtual session this afternoon, so I'm quite content with the course I would choose, but the problem is whether I could retain benefits to live off - I've accomodation to pay for - £430 per month, before any other bills/food/smoker etc.Just wondering whether it's a pipe dream or something achievable.

I did my degree at Birkbeck, in those days I got a partial government grant because my highest qualifications was level 4, and I was working; I don’t think that still exists. Birkbeck has/had a very generous bursary fund and topped up the difference. I also got a grant for books from them.

Student support for depression was great as well in my final year.

They were very supportive and I’m very glad I went there, good luck !

Thanks HotChoc. I've spoken to a 4th year student in a similar degree to what I want on the virtual session - she referred me to the financing dept and student services, but it was after 5pm at that stage. It's so annoying being in lockdown and nothing being open.

According to this: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/benefits-higher-education-students a tuition loan is not counted as income for benefits purposes, but a maintenance loan is. So if you're only getting the tuition loan, I think this shouldn't affect your benefits.

Oh sorry that's only for part time students. But part time undergraduate is four years so only one year longer than full time.

Ok thanks for that HotChoc. Maybe I could look at a very basic degree from a good uni - the one I'm looking at is a joint degree and at night. I suppose since the notion only took me today, I've about 6 months to apply. So if I only apply for the tuition loan amount, then I don't need to apply for the maintenance loan and can maintain benefits/work? Obviously more work to be done on my part in terms of researching. I just wanted to know whether it was remotely doable or not before I get my hopes up.

If you are able to claim for maintenance and don’t- it may affect your benefits (means tested ones, not PIP) as the maintenance could be counted as income (even if you don’t apply).

I would probably get accepted to most uni's as a mature student on my Leaving Cert alone, but there is the issue of my mental health which can be all over the shop. I go fine for 6 months, 2 years, a year, then I break and quit my jobs. When is the closing date would you have any idea for applications for 2021? Also, what are the tuition fees per year for Birkbeck and are they comparable to tuition fees to typical day courses BA'S?

CatToddlerUprising That's an interesting point. Does that mean, that if you don't take out a loan for maintenance, you'll lose your benefits? Yikes. Why wasn't I capable of trodding the old path of getting a degree when you're 18.........

I'm be almost 44 September 2021....

Not necessarily lose your benefits but the amount you would receive as maintenance would be deducted pound for pound from your entitlement. There are some exclusions if you’re on UC- www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students

The Irish system is so different - it's purely points based on your grade - no interviews - no personal statement - nothing like that.
If you get the points for the first option on your form, you are in and if you've decided actually you want your second choice, but you got the points for your first choice - you're stuck with your first choice on the form. And then, in the order in which you've listed them.
So it's purely based on your points/exam results.

So, in Ireland, 6 of your leaving cert (your best results) get counted by the computer.
So an A1 will give you 100 points.
So you would think that the max points for a course would be 600 points?
Wrong. Lol.
Because higher level maths carries an extra weight, so I got a C1 (I think that's 65 -70%) in Higher level Maths, so in total, though I had studied 7 subjects, your 6 top points subjects are counted for points.
I got 515 points, which qualified me for pretty much every course apart from Dentistry/Medicine/Actuarial Studies/Psychology in Trinity/Law in Trinity. Trinity would be probably the highest points uni in Ireland - it's in Dublin. I chose a joint degree rather than a half arsed BA in a relaxed uni and it was too much for me.

But I got my second choice - and I dropped out after a year. I chose a joint degree rather than a half arsed BA in a relaxed uni and it was too much for me.

I was young and wild and hadn't been let out before.

I'm just wondering how to become employable again I guess.