To consider taking out a loan I might not pay back?

[berrygirlie]

So first off, yes I probably am BU (I know) and I'm not seriously considering this because I know it's shitty.

I'm in full time education right now, which just so happens to amount to about 2 days a week 9:30-2pm most of the time. I'm keen to do a 3 month course starting in January that's an evening course and I could juggle both courses easily enough as this shorter course is only on every Tuesday night.

However, the payment upfront is £125 - if I don't pay it, they can't enroll me properly and there's no payment plan scheme. I'm on a very low income at the mo and I could potentially save it if I absolutely scrimped and scraped it together, but it would be very uncomfortable. However a mate of mine is advising to just take out a student loan - with the issue being I'm disabled and there's not a definite guarantee I'll be able to work in the future and may never get to the income where I'd need to pay it back.

Very keen to do the course and have something to focus on given my area is going into Tier 4 lockdown and I'll be bored to tears without enough to do, but it's tricky given I have essentially no disposable income right now (mostly spent on the vitals).

I'm in Scotland and already getting a bursary due to my low income, but this money is really keeping me afloat at the moment. Desperate times and all that. I probably won't do it but interested in opinions.

Hi OP, I work in finance for a college (also tier 4 in Scotland) and I'd consider the following:

Speak to the college about discretionary funds (these are available in addition to the bursary and are sometimes called 'hardship', might be worthwhile)

Ask if you can set a standing order up to spread payments. People are meant to pay for the courses before they start but we'd also count setting up a standing order for instalments as having paid.

If you can get the loan, take it, that's what it's there for.

Good luck.

Hi, thanks so much @Tricerapops! I wonder if you're employed at the college I go to I'll email Student Support about a standing order - though the website itself usually mentions alternative methods of payment (e.g. that was advertised for my HNC but maybe different course levels have different financial requirements)

Student loan as in from Student Finance and not a bank etc?

Yeah!

If I am, then the student support team are usually really good and they'll certainly do whatever they can. Ours also has a student fees email address and the person who deals with that often sends on further info to people who maybe haven't known/been told by lecturers that they could claim other funding like ITAs. Sorry, that bit isn't really my area in terms of what courses are covered but I do know ITAs are for people on low incomes.

Absolutely do it, if you're entitled to it, it's for q good reason. Education is to broaden the mind. Nothing shitty about it.

There's some complete nonsense being written on here. If you're not currently in HE or FE or have knowledge of it within the last 5 years then you've not really got anything of value to add.

OP, I'm in FE doing a PhD off the back of a years post grad and three years undergrad. I owe tens and tens of thousands to student finance, with about another 20k left to go on top of that. I'm in the UK so BA tuition fees have contributed to that massively.

Use the student finance, get your education. You need to speak to student support etc and get this worked out, people giving you misinformation left right and centre in here isn't helping you at all.

For goodness sake! Use the money!

Most people will only repay a proportion of their loans! An educated population is never wasted.... Ignore those who try and detract from your education.

Two other points.... Can you get what you need from Edx/coursera/MOOCS....

I'm sure you'd be entitled to disabled students allowance as an undergraduate...

Don't discount 'usual' University out of hand... Many folk with neuro diversity, mental health issues, thrive at uni!

The DSA awards are significantly more than you think.... You are able to use it to help you access the course you want to follow!

www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas

It wouldn't be morally right for OP to get a student loan? That is absolute horse shit. Do you think anyone else gives student loans a second thought? No, they take the money and use it for whatever they want. Why people think OP shouldn't be allowed to do the same is beyond my comprehension. Are the objections due to the OP being disabled?

OP, some of the info given on this thread about Disabled Student Allowance is incorrect. It's not money in the bank, DSA provides funding for services and equipment to support you through your studies. In my case it paid for things such as specialist equipment, subsidised travel to uni, funding for a note taker in lectures, and library assistance. It's absolutely worth applying for, but the money goes directly to the suppliers, it doesn't go to you. Each student has a certain amount available to use per academic year and funds are alloted to pay for the support you need. I would not have been able to attend uni without the support I received through DSA.

I think AIBU is the wrong place to post about your query. Some people think AIBU gives them the right to be absolute bell ends on threads. Please feel free to PM me if you want to chat about DSA, I finished my Master's last year.

This is not at all the same as taking out a loan and not intending on paying it back!

Take it. It's there for situations like yours.

Ask on any other day or word it differently OP and you’d have hundreds of responses from SAHM who have degrees and quite likely won’t ever pay back any of their student loan.

I think you should take it. You might not pay it back. You might pay back only a very small proportion. I don’t think you should take it if you never have any intention of even trying to get a job, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Thanks everyone for responding, sorry I had a prep session at college today but always keen to read thoughts on this topic!

I don’t think you should take it if you never have any intention of even trying to get a job, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
@MustardMitt I'm going to try and get a job within the next few years, but as a more general question can I ask why you think this?

Do they do Klarna or paypal so you can split out the payment over six months?

Also, have you explained to them that you are in financial hardship - they may waive the fee.

@AllStarfish No Klarna or Paypal, it's an upfront payment (according to the website but the website is usually pretty extensive). I may try to save up as much as I can this month, see how well I'm doing and if I can afford to pay then hope and pray the admissions are still open. If not there's always a short OU or Coursera course I suppose!

Do it. You only live once. In my view education is a right not a privilege and should be free anyway.

I got an Advanced Learner Loan for a 10 week course (England). You're not taking it from anyone else , doesn't work like that.