How many years SFE fee funding if illness prevents you continuing?

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I thought it was 4 years maximum (so in DD's case a foundation year and a 3 year degree). But I also heard somewhere (?) that if you had extenuating circumstances, like DD has a severe neuropsychiatric condition (classed as a disabled student) you would be granted 5?

In any case, she doesnt want to go back for year 2, she did a foundation and is currently most of the way through year 1. she's going to try to complete year 1 then maybe go back at a later date? What are the implications here? I think she's had most of year 1, I know there is a final tranche to pay but if she leaves now would that really help at all? Could she go back to, say, a different uni in a few years, and start in year 2? Even typing it, seems like a "No".

Experiences and ideas MN people?

https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/who-qualifies

Scroll down to 'If you changed course, stopped your studies or are repeating a year'.

You get one 'grace year' for the tuition fee (length of course plus one year); after that (see the worked examples), you will be required to pay one or more years yourself, unless tha reason for suspending / stopping and restarting studies was something like evidenced severe illness etc.

Everyone gets course length plus one gift year. If the student has to withdraw for health reasons they can apply for compelling personal reasons to get an extra year funded. She should speak to the Disability and student funding teams at the university and they will talk her through the process.

Going to a different uni in a few years may or may not be possible depending on the university and the course. The courses would have to be very similar. She may also be at a disadvantage starting in year 2. The benefit of year 1 is that you get to learn all the university systems in a year that doesn't count towards your final degree classification, so you have the chance to make mistakes. Starting a new uni in year 2 can be difficult as you don't get that chance and socially all the other students will know each other from year 1. Would she consider interrupting and going back to the same uni or does she not like her current university?

There are set financial cliff edges in the year when fee liability jumps up, she should check when the next one is to make sure if she is thinking of leaving she makes a decision at the right time. I don't think the next jump is until April but check.

As I said above, I would strongly recommend she speak to student support, or whatever they are called at her university, and get some advice.

What is the reason she doesn’t want to continue her degree, and can you say what the degree is as that’ll have implications for whether she could restart later on. Would she want to be at the same uni or transfer?

she doesn’t get extra SFE just because she is disabled but if her disability has disrupted her studies she could be grants extra.

Thank you all, @narrowrailroad has mentioned the Compelling Personal Reasons option so it looks like DD can get an extra year funded, its just where she would be able to start again. I'm thinking if she could simply start a new 3 year degree, setting aside the two years she's already done?

The degree is fashion related, and she feels she can't continue due to her condition, we can get medical evidence of that. Currently she is hoping to attempt to complete the current year (year 1) thinking that might give her more options? But if she went to a different uni closer to home, I think she'd be much better off starting a new 3 year course in a couple of years time. Just not sure you can use CPR for that as its not repeating a year, its adding a new course.