Leaving uni after first term

[Monica53]

Hi
Just wondering what percentage of students drop out of uni after first term? and also what are ramifications ie: costs ie SFE also options ? Thank you

Depends on the institution. Some have higher drop out rates. In some it's one in five students (20%). Cambridge however is 1% (these are 2015/figures)

@MrHaroldFry Thank you for reply - its Bristol ? Maybe / maybe not dropping out? Avenues to explore once calms down😳

You need to talk to your university - student support and student funding to work out the implications.

There are options depending on your course structure. You might be able to intermit.

@CheddarGorgeous Thank you - think they’re chatting to student support tonight ?

My best friend did this after one term. Another friend did it a year later. I miss them both. They were sensitive people.

Does it matter what other students do? The important question is what is right for your child.

If the decision is made quickly - and the university tells SFE the last date attendance was in the autumn (have they attended yet this term?) they'll have to pay back their term 2 maintenance. That means in the future they will be entitled to full fee and maintenance, apart from one terms worth which has been used up. If they don't carry on studying and go into work, they'll have loan repayments on the same basis as everyone else.

It's really not a disaster though - as long as lessons are learned.

@titchy- thank you for your reply and advice - appreciated

Remember - better to leave with MH intact, and better to leave with almost full loan entitlement than use it all up on the wrong course.

Check the student financial regulations on the university website (I had a look for you but Bristol requires a university log-in). Normally students pay a certain percentage of fees by a certain date - it's good to be aware of the cut-off points, so the student minimizes the fees owed.

If it's not the right course/university, there's no point trying to power through and be miserable. On the other hand, post-Christmas wobbles are fairly common - the difficulty is trying to figure out which it is.

Check the student financial regulations on the university website

SFE determine the regulations, not the university. The cut off is two weeks into a course - so you can do the first two weeks then quit with nothing owing, or if you quit part way through you're liable for fees (25% term 1 and 2, 50% term 3) and maintenance paid once you've started a term.

Which is why it's important OP's dc gets Bristol to say he/she hasn't attended anything in term 2. I don't know when term starts so it's feasible no teaching will have taken place yet anyway.

Another useful bit of info - where a student leave due to MH or a disability, SFE have the discretion to ignore previous loans awarded and re-set the clock. Not guaranteed but useful to flag if these are the circumstances.