17 and wanting to study with OU- funding?

[ImForeverBlowingBoobles]

Hello everyone, I was wondering whether anyone's 17-year-old had studied with the OU? My son would like to study psychology with them - health reasons make full time study on campus very difficult for him - but I wondered whether anyone knows about funding. Is it simply a student loan, or as he's under 19 does he still get a free education? (Thinking not as it's uni.)
Grateful for any advice. TIA

Free state education only refers to further education not higher education.

It would be a tuition fees loan.

Fee loan I'm afraid. He won't be entitled to maintenance loan either with the OU.

Are you in England?

In order to qualify for the maintenance loan he would have to prove it wouldn't be possible for him to attend university in the normal way - which it sounds like he wouldn't.

But the tuition fee would be covered by the student loan regardless.

There's an unofficial open university fb page which is very helpful, and another for disabled OU students

It's exactly the same for funding as any other uni if you cannot study at a traditional campus, it was one of the things that were important to those setting the uni up.

He might also get disabled students allowance and it's possible (lots of new rules) he could also claim some benefits either for the full year of at least for over the summer.

I'm studying with them at the moment and they are certainly the best organised uni I've studied with in terms of access and support.

Thank you, everyone! I did think that was the case but worth checking I suppose.