Finance confusion

[tearsonmypillowpaininmyheart]

I'm confused about student finance. So if I do a hnc or hnd or a foundation degree and they are full time those years come of my student finance? I'm a mature student and was going to do a foundation degree then apply to do environmental health which is 4 years, I'm not able to top up you have to enter first year. How are you supposed to finance 2 years of uni by yourself? At least that is my understanding of how it works.

A foundation degree is equivalent to the first two years of a standard degree, so why would you want to do a foundation degree then effectively start again to do another degree?

To answer your question, you choose a Higher Education course and you get funded for the length of that course, plus one further year.

So you could do a FD/HND, then a one-year top up to full degree and the lot would be fully funded, as long as you hadn't had to repeat any years.

If you're thinking of the FD / HND because you've been out of education for a while, do an Access course instead with an Advanced Learner Loan - non-repayable if you then go on to uni. Then do the full degree.

Access to learners loan isn't available in NI. I've been out of education for quite a few years hence looking st foundation/hnc.

Are there any options for you to do a degree with a foundation year integrated? In your position I'd self fund the access course and get finance for the degree.

Ah you're in NI... if you do FD/HND first and you have to start the degree at year 1, you will have to fund at least one, possibly more years yourself.

As the pp suggested can you do a degree with FY? (I assume you're limited to just NI unis). Or fund the Access course yourself? Or self fund a one year HNC? Fees are a lot in NI than England so might be possible. OU also cheaper if you can manage online learning.

Thanks unfortunately built in foundation degrees aren't a thing here. The fees are alot cheaper but still 2500 for level 4 which as a single parent isn't quite in my budget. With the ou I have no guarantee of childcare. I can top up to a couple of degrees but but environmental health isn't one of them. Anyway hopefully figure something out.

How about doing some OU credits? 60 credits at level 4 would probably be enough for degree entry and would only cost £1000.

Could you do A levels required for the course at college or distance learning? That's not classed as higher education so may be a cheaper option or funding available.

If you are in Scotland you can get funding for 5 years so one year for an hnc then 4 years for a degree.

Apologies just saw that you are in NI