Denied student finance half way through the first term

[Geckos48]

What can I do?

They said because I have done a 2 year HND, I cannot apply for finance this year, even though I get 4 years total.

I dont know what to do.

I am wondering if I can ask to have finance this year and next and finance my own third year.

Contact the student services at your university. They can look at your circumstances and also, if you give permission, talk to the SLC on your behalf.

They wont be able to do anything more unfortunately. I have spoken to them/got them to speak to SLC

They will give me 3k off my first year fees, leaving me with £4500 to find, which, I probably could if i paid it off in sections and also applied for the various charities that offer support.

But I am now thinking it would be better (and quicker) to do an Open degree with the OU, then do a masters in my preferred subject and get onto it that way.

This is entirely normal, and no, you won't be able to get funding for the first two years and not the third because they know that all too often that would result in (a) students dropping out in third year because they can't afford it, and / or (b) heartfelt pleas in the media about how they can't afford to continue studying and how the evil uni / SFE should fund them. It's much kinder to make people fund first year themselves, so that they don't get into that situation and waste two years of money and effort.

Is there a reason why you couldn't just do a one year top up course?

That's what I am looking at doing now.
8 ou modules to finish my degree (open degree) then an ma in my chosen subject

how different are your HND and degree? Could you do a 'top up'?

Very different, HND in photography and was doing a degree in Social Science.

I am going to do a top-up with the OU. I have to do 180 units though, which they think will take around 2 years but ideally I would like to get it finished in 1.5.

You know the OU charges the same as other unis don't you?

It might be cheaper, although long winded to do another HND, this time in Social Science at an FE college (It would probably be HND health and Social care) and then top up. You can transfer some units between HND courses in totally different subjects.

I wouldnt get funding for another HND.

I will get funding for a year/2 years at the OU (who charge 5k rather than 7.5k btw) as I will be building on my existing qualifications.

I'll be doing an open degree using the credits I already have (180) and topping up to the 360 needed for a degree. As long as I do the rest of my subjects in social science, i will get a BSC instead of a BA.

The open university is great!