Daughter dropping out of Y2 of her degree, financial implications

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Just that really, poor DD has really struggled through her second year with clinical depression & things have come to a head.

She feels she cannot start to get better while still trying to meet essay deadlines, & with the exams looming. I agree, having seen her try forover a year,and now on third lot of AD'S, she really needs to just rest & concentrate on getting well. It is heartbreaking to see her so low, she has lost all her self confidence & sparkle.

She is going to talk to the MH counselling team on campus who have been v supportive, about the practicalities & her own tutor,also been brilliant in trying to support her through. One option seems to be to drop out now have 6 months to hopefully recover, then start Y2 again.She loves her subject, She has a lovely group of friends & they have signed up for a house share in Sept & she is looking forward to that. They will in keep in touch & she has been invited to sofa surf whenever she needs to till then.

My worry is about her SF loan, will they expect the whole years funding back? How will it work for getting a further year to finish? Can't find much online. I am on low income as a single parent & it's been a real struggle, but obv we'll have to manage, as getting her better is my priority but I do worry about that although I don't let her see it, I know she feels guilty, & she doesn't need that on top of everything else.

Any advice much appreciated.TIA

Sadly the student loans people don't seem to provide any support in cases like these, and I guess why should they, a loan is a loan, right? That's not to say it's not a total PITA. DH dropped out after 4 years of uni without a degree due to mental illness and is still to start paying back any of his loan In your daughter's case you're not responsible for the loan, she is, and she'll start paying it back when earning a certain amount just like everyone else.

p.s. hope your daughter feels a bit better soon

I think (can't check on this phone without losing this page) that students can get loans for up to 4 years so as long as she isn't on a 4-year course she will be able to get her loans for repeating year 2, but her debt will be higher. If she gets any non-loan support in grants/bursaries etc this would quite likely not be repeated so she might have a year of being a bit more frugal.

The pain would come if she decides she is on entirely the wrong course and wants to start again from year 1 of a different subject. Then she would have to pay £9,000 fees and a year's living expenses without the help of a loan - very painful.

However, the priority now needs to be getting her well again. Try not to let her worry about financial things until she is out the other side of this dark patch.

Thanks apples, that's Ok if it gets added to her long term loan/ debt we'll have to suck it up.
Just don't want her worrying she'll have to pay it back immediately.

She also has a bursary from the uni so will have to sort that out too, oh god what a mess!

Thanks fish, that's helpful. She does love her course when well, really into it so at least that shouldn't be an issue ( please god!)

We can cope with being frugal, she's good at budgeting & the only student I know who has some of her grant left each term!

As you say priority is getting her well, the rest is possibly a PITA but unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

Yes have checked and there shouldn't be a problem with repeating a single year and getting full finance for it - apparently this is true even on 4 year courses, everyone has the right to get finance for one repeat year. However, there are caveats that some students may have "used up" this flexibility without knowing it (eg if 2.5 years ago she registered for a course, but on day 2 decided it was the wrong choice and took a year out before starting again a year later somewhere else)

It's a completely different situation to Apples's dh - but yes a loan is a loan.

Hopefully it would never be needed, but the student finance pages do say that they can sometimes allow more than one repeat year if there is very compelling medical evidence, so make sure you keep meticulous records of your daughter's condition and treatment now, just in case this is necessary.

the only student I know who has some of her grant left each term!
Be aware this could be a symptom of her depression - generally if she was participating fully in university life, this wouldn't be true, but it can be achieved if she never goes out or does anything apart from study. It's not unusual in students with mh issues but is very very unusual in students without.

I truly hope that when she is back and fully healthy she will have a more active and involved schedule, but that might end up being a tad more expensive.

Have sent you a pm MissMarple

I'm not sure about finances, but think hard about the year off - sometimes having no structure can be worse for depression. If she decides to take the time out, encourage her to do something - voluntary work or a non stressful short course that gives her a reason to get up, and that might be relevant to her future plans ( such as reading to children at your local primary school etc).

Fish that is so reassuring thank you. Yes I did wonder about the money but she doesn't drink - hates the taste bizarrely, no ethical reasons, so that helps.

She has a nice group of friends but yes part of her illness has been isolating herself on bad days I suspect, so hard to judge at a distance & no parents evenings for feedback anymore!! :)

Thanks shall read ona

Yule this has been one of my worries about her coming home- her lack of routine etc as well as social isolation. Hopefully it will only be for 6 months but a voluntary job would be a good idea, if she can cope with that.

She is so close to finishing this second year and then has the whole long summer break to recover in can she not just stick it out until June exams or is she so late with handing things in they would not let her continue this year?

(Two of my 3 older children did not use up all their money - they are just careful. Only one spent it all. I don't think we should say students who are careful with money - that that is a symptom of depression! One reason I am always happy in life is because I have always only spent what I had and one reason I have done well. It's a good point not a bad).

I know it's tough, but you should be really pleased your DD is being sensible. I often say to undergrads with MH illnesses which stop them from studying effectively "If you had a brain tumour we wouldn't expect you to keep going"

But PLEASE: She doesn't have to drop out. She can take a Leave of Absence. Some universities call it "interruption" or "intercalation."

She needs to talk to her tutor and her Department about this, with suitable expert medical evidence/support.

good luck to her.

And most LoA can be up to a year. So she can take more than just 6 months out. She could go on LoA now, and resume at the same point in 12 months time.

Jilly R Not quite at that point, but I think its the outstanding work & the looming exams which are hanging over her & stopping her getting better as she is constantly stressing about them & not doing well. The pressure will be off her this way & finance wise as I understand it it's better to do it now at the end of term than before next terms loans/grants are paid in.
I think she is very careful with her money, but not totally tight, she buys feminist sloganned t-shirts & hoodies, DVDs & books instead of alcohol!!!

UP thank you for that advice, good to know there is that option, have to say her Uni have been very supportive so will give her that info. I have said the same to her that if it was a broken leg they'd have to let her have time off, and calling it a Leave of absence isn't as final & negative as "dropping out" is it?

She is booking a GP appt for this week asap & also going to the drop in clinic with her Well Being counsellor on Tues to get the ball rolling.

As I said to her last night, in 10 years time 6months-a year of time out will be a mere blip - important thing is to get her better & see where she wants to be then.

Thanks lovely vipers for the advice & hand holding!

I've no advice but just wanted to,wish you and your DD the best. It sounds like your DD is a sensible girl. Hopefully, she will feel better soon. Is she home for Easter?

MrsDoyles Thank you, how kind.

Yes she is sensible bless her & is home for the holidays so I can spoil her a bit

Can't she just at least have a bash at her year end exams.If she starts on ADs now she will be starting to feel better by the end of the Easter hols.After exams she will be off 4 months til October.

OP - I haven't read the rest of the answers, but your DD can suspend studies for the year and begin again, in Year 2, from September.

If the school faculty/student services/personal tutor are all aware of the situation, they will do everything in their power to help.

I'm in my second year and have deferred my January exams because DH lost his job over Xmas (was self employed with City Link and, as such, we were over £4k out of pocket). There is a larger back-story to this (related to my DH's serious mental health issues), but within 2 hours of speaking to my personal tutor and the deputy head of the faculty I was offered the option of suspending my studies for a year, deferring my January exams to August (as a first sit) as well as many other options/offers of help. I was helped through the PEC form system and given a 'decision' within hours of submitting my PEC (although my tutor and deputy head of faculty approved the deferral, the independent PEC committee also had to agree to this).

They really were fantastic and it is such a comfort to know I have the full support of my tutor and faculty I honestly cannot thank them enough for everything.

Tell your wonderful DD that a year is miniscule in the whole grand scheme of things. I will be nearly 38 when I graduate and there will be people older than me graduating at the same time! She really must concentrate on getting herself better, then she will be able to throw herself into her studies and reap the rewards she deserves

Jonesy she has been on AD's since last Easter, now on 3rd lot. She needs to have a complete break before she has a full breakdown. SHe has tried for a year and is not improving so I think its time to give her a break & let her just be. If she stops now its better financially to it seems as she hasn't had her third term fees loan yet.

Bunnyjo thank you- that's what she's hoping to do. She is off to see her GP & tutors tomorrow. I have said the same as you its more important to get better, in 10 years time she will look back on this as a blip hopefully. I hope it all works out for you too, and that your DH gets the support he needs to get better.