Previous studies

I completed my course:

If you already hold a qualification that’s equal to or higher than the one you intend to study, it’s known as an Equivalent Learning Qualification (ELQ). An ELQ will affect your entitlement to funding and the rate of tuition fee you’ll pay. This applies even if you studied at an overseas institution, unless you can either show your qualification isn’t equivalent to your new course or you can prove that you studied at a private institution and paid your fees yourself. To prove the level of your qualification, you’ll need to contact UK NARIC.

For information about the rates of fee charged for ELQ students, visit our Fees page.

If you began your course in September 2009 or 2010, you will be charged a different ELQ rate - please check with your School Registry Office for details.

I didn’t complete my course:

You should be charged the normal rate of tuition fee. However, this previous study will affect any entitlement to student funding for an undergraduate degree course and you may be liable to pay your own tuition fee for some or your entire course.

Note: The following information is not relevant to postgraduate students. For information on financing postgraduate study, visit our Postgraduate students funding page.

If you completed your course and achieved a degree-level qualification:

Full-time undergraduate students

If you're a full-time undergraduate student, you hold an ELQ and you would like to study an undergraduate degree, you will not be eligible for the Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan (unless studying Architecture), Maintenance Grant, University Bursary or the Special Support Grant. You will be liable to pay your own tuition fees for the duration of your course.

Available sources of funding include the Adult Dependent Grant, Childcare Grant, Parents Learning Allowance and the Disabled Students Allowance. Part-time undergraduate students are not eligible for Student Finance England funding, with the exception of the Disabled Students Allowance.

Note: If you previously completed a two-year Higher National Diploma or Foundation degree, you may still be eligible for full funding, including the Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan for the final two years of your new degree course. Contact Student Advice to check your eligibility.

Part-time undergraduate students

If you're a part-time undergraduate student who holds an ELQ, you will not be eligible for any funding except for the Disabled Students Allowance. You will have to pay your own tuition fees for your course. These rules apply even if you didn’t receive any student funding for your previous course. They also apply if you studied at an overseas institution, unless you can show your qualification isn’t equivalent to a UK Honours degree or you can prove that you studied at a private institution and paid your fees yourself. You’ll need to contact UK NARIC in order to prove the level of your qualification.

If you did not complete your course:

Full-time undergraduate students

If you're starting a degree course for the first time, you will normally be entitled to full funding for the standard length of your course plus one extra year. However, if you’ve studied on a higher education course in the past, even if you only attended for one day, the number of years or part-years you attended the previous course will be deducted from this total. Note that one day’s attendance on a course counts as one year of study under these rules.

You will not be entitled to the Tuition Fee Loan, the Maintenance Grant or the Special Support Grant for these ‘deducted’ years. You will still be entitled to receive the Maintenance Loan (loan for living costs), plus additional grants for dependents and disabilities if applicable.

There is an exception to this rule: If you did not complete your previous course because of a compelling personal reason, for example illness or bereavement, you should provide evidence of this when you apply for your student funding and ask that Student Finance England take these into account when considering your funding entitlement. Student Finance England may, at their discretion, award an extra year of funding based on compelling personal reasons.

If you previously studied a part-time higher education course but didn’t complete it, the years spent on this course will be ignored and should not affect your funding entitlement for a new full-time degree course.

Part-time undergraduate students

Previous study does not affect entitlement to part-time student funding, providing you do not already hold an ELQ qualification.
 

Note: This information is only relevant to full-time undergraduate students.

Previous study makes it more complicated to work out your entitlement. Below are a couple of examples to show the levels of funding you may be eligible to receive for a new three-year undergraduate course.

Example

You studied one and a half years on a previous higher education course and then left, or you completed a two-year HND course or overseas equivalent.

The normal funding for your new course would cover four years of study (the standard duration of the course plus one additional year).

However, your previous study years are deducted from this (remember that even if you studied for just one day on a course, it counts as one year of previous study). Two years are therefore deducted from your funding.

So, you will receive just two years of funding, which will cover years two and three of your studies - you will not receive the Fee Loan, Maintenance Grant, Special Support Grant or University Bursary for the first year of your new course. As you will not be eligible for a fee loan for the first year of your course, you will have to pay your own tuition fees.

Here's the calculation:  

Duration of new course plus one year: (3+1)	4 years
Years or part-years spent on previous course	2 years
Full funding for new course: (4–2)	2 years
Entitlement: Two years of funding (Fee Loan, Maintenance Grant, Special Support Grant or University Bursary), to cover years two and three of study. You’ll not receive funding for the first year of your new course.