To say I don't already have a degree to get a student loan?

[Harkonen]

I did a BA in English Lit 1989, but want to retrain as a counsellor. There's a foundation degree at a college near me which would be great. I'm not eligible for a loan from student finance due to having already done a degree 35 years ago. The college I did it at has changed its name. AIBU to say I don't have a degree? How would they ever know? I'm married now with a different name. I am aware this is very illegal and tbh I know already I won't do it as I'm normally very law abiding! I can't afford to do the degree through self funding.

Most people don't pay the full loan back, especially under the more recent terms - compared to the ones from the 90s.

Alternatively would you be in a position to take a loan to cover the fees and pay it off as you go? For my second degree I worked full time and did some additional shifts and paid the fees off in stages?

Well I know this is AIBU but it is so obviously hard to imagine that someone might be busy now, or not hanging on everyone's word?

FFS! Do you really have to ask if committing fraud is unreasonable??? You are an absolute melt!

It got the conversation going and there's been some useful info, so I've found it quite helpful actually.

This is incorrect.

YABU, it’s fraud. Big trouble if they found out.

Are you sure you can’t get funding? I thought the law was changed a few years ago to say you can if it’s retraining?

In 1989 assume you got a grant.
However it was financed is completely irrelevant
Whats relevant is that you have a degree and you cannot get st finance for another.
This is mainly because it is often not fully paid back and as you have the benefit already of a higher level of education the loan service is there for others who haven’t had that.

As an aside, an application requires your NI info. They may know through this that you have already had a grant. If your first degree was self financed then no one would know.

There's nothing to say that anywhere. I'll call student finance again tomorrow and see if they can give me any more info (despite the people on this thread insisting that Counselling comes under Psychology I am not sure that it is counted as a medical science in this instance)

You can apply for student finance at any point whilst your studying.
So start course in September. Apply for student finance the following February…all fine. Including for paying the fees ( assuming it’s within your uni fees deadline, ) )

Yes Inknow that this is incorrect

It won't be fine if it turns out I'm not eligible!

Is there a distance learning masters?

I don't think there's one accredited by the BCAP.

I also don't want to do distance learning.

In counselling I’m pretty sure you can’t just jump to a masters from level 3 - you have to complete level 4, 5 and 6. It doesn’t count if you have a degree in another subject, you can’t “convert” to counselling. You have to start from scratch and work your way up, there’s a lot of self development and you can’t shortcut that. Partly what makes it so. Bloody. Expensive.

Still interested to know why a degree is not recommended!

There are Masters where you need a level 3 equivalent and some experience. The one I'd do expects that.

Yabu. Is there a way of being funded through work as a trainee therapist? Or one of the health’s re degrees (mental health nursing, occupational therapy, etc) that you could then use to become a counsellor?

Because you can still get student loan for the healthcare degrees even if you’ve already done a degree

No way of being funded through work and not interested in doing a nursing degree.

And occupational therapists aren't counsellors?

Maybe I wasn’t clear. Mh nursing and OT can lead onto jobs in talking therapy. It was a suggestion of how to get into that line of work.
sounds like you know what you want though so carry on as you wereZ good luck

OP from your replies to PPs you sound very rigid in your thinking, you state very firmly what you will or won't do. That's not a good foundation for being a counsellor, where you need to be flexible, empathic and non judgemental.

Counselling isn't one of the exceptions to the no funding for a second degree rule, part or full time. The government are looking for more NHS counsellors, but not private ones. Therefore funded training is available via the NHS but not for a general degree.

And a PS - it's the BACP, not the BCAP.

There are degrees for ‘counselling’ and degrees for ‘counselling and psychology’.
Only the later by that exact course title are recognised for Student Finance as a second bachelors degree.

Student finance have lists on their website of all relevant courses. This indicates the more biological/ medical side of the ‘counselling and psychology course’…that the ‘counselling’ course does not cover which is why a course covering counselling alone is not applicable for second degree student finance

Basically. It isn’t medical enough
Why not go for a joint degree

Rigid? Nope. I live in a remote area and don't have many options or much money, so I'm not blessed with choice. And I'm dyslexic, but thanks anyway.

I'm sure you are right about Counselling not being eligible for the second degree funding, despite some being adamant that it is, sadly for me.

*There are degrees for ‘counselling’ and degrees for ‘counselling and psychology’.
Only the later by that exact course title are recognised for Student Finance as a second bachelors degree.

Student finance have lists on their website of all relevant courses*

Do they? I've seen a fairly general list but nothing specific