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.

I am surprised that people on this thread think that the Government holds lists of peoples's names, national insurance numbers and time and place of doing their first degree and that someone is checking this list when people apply for loans.

Student grants back in the day were administered by county councils IIRC so not even central Government.

I'm not saying do it OP. I personally wouldn't because I'd fret about being caught for the rest of my life but I honestly don't think you would be if you're happy to take the risk.

So you want to move into a career which is about caring and honesty by committing a criminal fraud?

Yes, excellent plan.

Don't lie. It won't work out well.

Find an undergraduate masters degree - lots of degrees like this where the course is 4 years long and is an integrated course that covers all the BSc material and then extends it in the 4th year so that the final degree awarded is MSc not BSc. You are fully eligible for funding throughout the course if the qualification at the end is at a higher level to the highest qualification you already hold.

YABU. Very selfish behaviour.

This ^ It has to be part time and STEM

@THisbackwithavengeance

Student Finance is linked to HMRC, they exchange information.

Well no they don’t. That’s your preference and potentially cutting your nose to spite your face.

Virtual learning is better than fraud.

Im doing a BSc degree which is online, most of it is independent study so can’t say its had much of an impact. I did my BA in person and I would say I probs focus better with it virtual.

Possibly, but wasn’t finance administered by local authorities? Given the absolute state of Government information systems, and the lack of centralization or data standards, is it likely those records would be routinely accessible now? (Not that I think it’s okay to lie and get a loan you’re not entitled to, just wondering about how robust, or even existent, checks could be).

You have a student reference number for finance linked to your national insurance number. Computer says no, whatever lies you try to tell.

I'm not going to commit fraud, and distance learning is great for some subjects but not counselling.

You are then eligible for a Postgraduate loan which is 12k in total. Not the full amount.

Thanks. I'm not going to do it, but I think that you are completely correct and there's very little chance of anyone joining the dots. Particularly if you self funded and noone asked for a NI number. Also, it's an expensive loan, not free money, so not really sure why people are frothing about it being stealing. That would mean anyone who took out a student loan and didn't eventually pay it back is stealing.

I also don't want to do distance learning.

Yet you live in a remote area. Even aside from the £, I can't see this working out.

I wouldn't trust a counsellor who lies and commits fraud for their own benefit. YABVU.

Particularly if you self funded ORIGINALLY that should say.

Including the criminal angle. 🙄

Are you honestly suggesting that “judging” someone for committing a crime is worse than committing the crime?

Well, we'll see. I want to do a good, face to face course accredited by BACP. If anyone can find a distance learning course that's accredited I'd love to hear about it.

And to the pp who said the government don't want private counsellors, they seem happy to train dentists. Which would be fantastic if any did NHS work.

‘Well, I'm not actually going to do it, so more a counsellor who can see things from many angles and doesn't judge.‘

ah right, that’s okay then. Not a plan to commit fraud - just shooting the breeze about some ‘what ifs’??
Now you know you’ll get caught that is…

TBF many,
m any counsellors I know have personal
lives that are a mess and/or have mental health issues - it’s what interests many in the first place.

Where did she say that?

Counselors need to be able to listen to what people have done in their lives, even if it’s criminal, without judging them if they are going to be any use as counselors. And a huge number of people caught up in the criminal justice system have mental health problems, so we really need counselors who are going to be able to listen to people talk about crime and still be effective.

All the same, OP, I’m glad you don’t intend doing it.

Yes, lots of counsellors have overcome personal problems and that's encouraged them to train in the first place, which is a good thing. You need a lot of personal therapy before you qualify (on a decent course that is). I'd agree that anyone can call themselves a counsellor which means the quality is variable. My experience has been the opposite to yours, in that the counsellors I know are hard working, intelligent and pretty stable.

Thanks. It was an idea born of frustration but I couldn't live with it hanging over me tbh!

Are you foreign OP? Virtually no one self funded in the 1980s.

"Foreign"??

No 😅

Yes the ethics and morality shine through 😃

Can you indicate roughly where you are in the country? Would you be happy with a post grad certificate that you could top up to Masters level later?

Southampton offers PGDip in CBT (Low intensity CBT with IAPT status) and PGDip CBT (Education Mental Health Practitioner). To be eligible for these courses, you have to apply for a range of roles and then if you're successful, the course is fully-funded. That way, you get relevant experience and a qualification, which can help you to progress quickly.

The first course is accredited by BPS; the latter by BABCP.

I would imagine that similar courses are offered elsewhere.