Child wants to do foundation course, no student finance. Options??

[crossstitchingnana]

As per title. We have £3000 in savings. That's it. No idea how anyone, unless rich, can support their child with no student finance. They'll need fees, housing and living costs.

Any tips? Ie can they claim UC? We're obviously looking at a bank loan, alongside the one we already have. Feeling really anxious about it.

I would appreciate any advice you have.

Thank you.

Is there no way for them to go straight onto the undergraduate and skip the foundation?

What about 'adult' learning loans, do they still exist?

redo the final year of sixth form instead and get onto a university course at a higher level? Unless they have already done this

Why can't they get student finance? Or do you just not want them to?

It depends why they can't (won't?) access loans...

Did they fail School exams? I’d say they need to do bc a different course tbh. Lots of HNC courses for example can lead onto undergraduate degrees and they tend to be more flexible in entrance requirements.

If they are older 22+ then universities run access to learning courses in the evening which can get in as well.

Fromg gov.uk
Foundation year students are eligible for help if:

• the foundation year is an integral part of the course, and the course as a whole is designated by, or under, the Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011 (as amended), and
• when first enrolling, students enrol for the full length of the extended course.

So they shoukd enrol for the full course
Or is it something like art or?

Student funding regulations do not allow for standalone foundation years. Therefore, Universities need to put in place a process to ensure students who have completed a foundation year receive their full entitlement of funding.
To ensure you receive the correct funding package having begun on a foundation year course, you will need to select the appropriate course name including foundation year,

My daughter did it for an unfounded postgrad year but week did have savings.

we had recently moved house and the £10k we’d set aside for home improvements we used for the fees and took out an interest free loan for fitted furniture.

She did claim universal credit but there were strict, specific rules. You have to be either earning the equivalent of working so many hours per week at minimum wage or be job seeking and prepared to leave your course. My daughter got a part time job that earnt £10 per hour. As minimum wage for her age was a lot less than that she was able to fulfil her claimant commitment through working less hours.

she got little to no actual cash but she did get housing benefit. As she was living in Ealing the LHA was quite high.

It wasn’t easy especially as her course (performing arts) had very high contact hours.

This - I thought that was the standard? E.g. on UCAS loads of courses 'X Y Z' with foundation year.

It's performing arts course. They failed auditions for the degree courses so looking to do a foundation year, which prepares them for the degree. They'll then have to audition next year for a degree course somewhere.

The course info states that the course is not eligible for student finance.

The career development loan is no more (and was for 24+ only) and they have already done the level 3 aspect of their studies twice.

Thank you for all the advice.

Oh yes good point. Are they looking for the wrong thing? Pretty much every uni offering a foundation year offers it integrated into a degree programme so no student should be ineligible unless they've done a degree already.

(Art foundation years are funded as well, but in the same way as level 3s at colleges, even if student has already done two years at college.)

Ask the institution for details of funding providers to apply to.

Performing arts are a whole different kettle of fish - if this thread doesn't generate much useful replies maybe worth starting one in TheStudentRoom, or changing the title.

Be really honest, if they failed auditions at this point, are they really good enough for what is an oversubscribed career that really means a lot of time being a waiter ?
I would make them do a gap year to earn enough, and hope they are getting their performant experience in amateur groups

Is a DADA award possible? Can they apply for another course with a foundation year? Is this one guaranteeing a successful audition in the future? Is their ambition realistic given they've failed at I assume several auditions?

Is Notapushymum still going? The mums there may be able to suggest something. Does the institution offer bursaries?

Believe me this has crossed my mind, but how can I piss on their dreams??

They do have scholarships but my guess that will be for the poorest, on UC etc. We are classic squeezed middle.

I think it is increasingly used as a bit of a money making scam by drama schools. Drama school is unbelievably competitive and expensive ( just the audition fees can really add up) to get into. Often when students are rejected from the degree they are offered a foundation instead. Even after the foundation many students don't get into the full degree anyway. Ever wondered why all actors are so posh these days, it is so hard for working or lower middle class people to get into the arts these days.

Thank you, I really appreciate all the help.

Yup. Agree. At these places there would be 1000+ auditioning for 50 places. Charged £30-50 per audition. That's a massive income for the school.

My concern is if my child does a gap year they'll be getting long in the tooth for the degree.

Believe me this has crossed my mind, but how can I piss on their dreams??

Them taking a year out and working to save the fees, with you maybe providing free board and lodging, could be viewed as you supporting their dreams, but also giving them responsibility to work towards that dream, and maybe slowly realising it's not realistic.

Then it's not truly a dream is it if they don't even want to take a year out.

You're not 'pissing on their dreams'. You just can't afford it.

Especially in this day and age when many of the most talented are already getting work in their teens. And many more breaking in without a full on 'performing arts' degree.

Have you considered short acting courses, that may be eligible for funding like the below?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_School_of_Drama (where Ritu Arya trained I believe)