How previous part-time study affects eligibility for a full-time tuition-fee loan

[Name Removed] made this Freedom of Information request to Student Loans Company Limited This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was refused by Student Loans Company Limited.

Dear Student Loans Company Limited,

I would like some detailed information about how part-time study affects future eligibility for a full-time undergraduate tuition-fee loan.

If I register on a Bachelor's degree at the Open University and take out a tuition fee loan to pay for the modules, but withdraw from the course before I complete the qualification, would I be eligible for full-funding (tuition fee and maintenance loan) for a full-time undergraduate degree?

Would I be eligible for full-funding (tuition fee and maintenance loan) for a full-time undergraduate degree if I completed 60 credits at Stage 1, 60 credits at Stage 2 and 60 credits at Stage 3 of an OU Bachelor's degree, but withdrew before completing the qualification?

Would I be eligible for full-funding (tuition fee and maintenance loan) for a full-time undergraduate degree if I completed 120 credits at Stage 1 and 120 credits at Stage 2 of an OU Bachelor's degree, but withdrew before completing the qualification, and did not claim an exit award?

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

SLC FOI Requests - Do Not Reply, Student Loans Company Limited

This is an automated response to let you know that your email has been
received by the Student Loans Company Limited ("SLC").

SLC's Freedom of Information Office is only able to deal with requests for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA"). If your
email relates to a request for information under the FOIA, a separate
acknowledgement will be issued with a request reference.
your email is in relation to a student finance application or account
enquiry, and you have provided sufficient details to identify your account,

your email will be passed to the relevant department. Alternatively,
please contact us using the contact details available at
https://www.slc.co.uk/contact.aspx.

If your email is not a customer enquiry then it has been passed to the
relevant department.

SLC's Freedom of Information Office is unable to advise response timescales

for other departments.

show quoted sections

FOI Requests, Student Loans Company Limited

Dear [Name Removed]

Thank you for your email dated 26/07/2018.

Your request is being considered under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”).

Your request has been allocated reference 168-18.

Please note that we will not be answering your questions specifically in
relation to you as they have been posed, rather we would propose providing
general information only.  As student finance policy differs between the
UK domiciles, please confirm which UK funding authority/domicile you are
seeking information in relation to.  

We will respond to you under the terms of the FOIA and within 20 working
days.

We will contact you further for clarification of your request if this is
considered necessary.  

Yours sincerely

Louise Chapman | Legal Executive
Student Loans Company
100 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 7JD
e: 32080  t: 0141 306 2080

[1]www.slc.co.uk
Follow us at [2]Twitter/SLCcomms for the latest corporate news and updates

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.slc.co.uk
2. file:///tmp/www.Twitter.com/SLCcomms

Dear FOI Requests,

I am seeking information in relation to Student Finance England.

Yours sincerely,

[Name Removed]

SLC FOI Requests - Do Not Reply, Student Loans Company Limited

This is an automated response to let you know that your email has been
received by the Student Loans Company Limited ("SLC").

SLC's Freedom of Information Office is only able to deal with requests for
information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA"). If your
email relates to a request for information under the FOIA, a separate
acknowledgement will be issued with a request reference.
your email is in relation to a student finance application or account
enquiry, and you have provided sufficient details to identify your account,

your email will be passed to the relevant department. Alternatively,
please contact us using the contact details available at
https://www.slc.co.uk/contact.aspx.

If your email is not a customer enquiry then it has been passed to the
relevant department.

SLC's Freedom of Information Office is unable to advise response timescales

for other departments.

show quoted sections

FOI Requests, Student Loans Company Limited

Dear Sam O’Sullian

I refer to your recent email dated 26/07/2018 requesting information about
how part-time study affects future eligibility for a full-time
undergraduate tuition fee loan under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(“FOIA”).

The specific questions you asked were as follows:

“If I register on a Bachelor's degree at the Open University and take out
a tuition fee loan to pay for the modules, but withdraw from the course
before I complete the qualification, would I be eligible for full-funding
(tuition fee and maintenance loan) for a full-time undergraduate degree?

Would I be eligible for full-funding (tuition fee and maintenance loan)
for a full-time undergraduate degree if I completed 60 credits at Stage 1,
60 credits at Stage 2 and 60 credits at Stage 3 of an OU Bachelor's
degree, but withdrew before completing the qualification?

Would I be eligible for full-funding (tuition fee and maintenance loan)
for a full-time undergraduate degree if I completed 120 credits at Stage 1
and 120 credits at Stage 2 of an OU Bachelor's degree, but withdrew before
completing the qualification, and did not claim an exit award?”
Response

I can confirm that the questions you are asked are not questions that can
be answered under the FOIA as you are asking questions about your own
eligibility to student finance.  Even if these were considered to be
hypothetical questions, eligibility to full-time student finance depends
on the following factors:
·        the applicant’s university or college;

·        the applicant’s course;

·        if the applicant has studied a higher education course before;

·        the applicant’s age; and

·        the applicant’s nationality or residency status

not just the limited facts that you have provided in your email.

You have also not stated which funding body you would be applying to.
 Student finance can differ between the UK domiciles.  As the Student
Loans Company Limited (“SLC”) assesses applications from students applying
through Student Finance England (“SFE”) and Student Finance Wales (“SFW”),
then I have set out some general information below for both of these
funding bodies.

SFE - Eligibility to student finance is governed by the Education (Student
Support) Regulations 2011, as amended (the “2011 Student Support
Regulations”) which are available online at
[1]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/... (amendments
available at
[2]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/af...).  
Detailed information on how previous study affects future eligibility to
student finance can be found in the Assessing Eligibility Guidance Chapter
which provides policy guidance on the 2011 Student Support Regulations –
the current Guidance Chapter for academic year 2018/19 can be found online
at
[3]https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/medi....
 Please refer to section 5, and I would draw your attention to paragraph
5.1 in particular.  

SFW – Eligibility to student finance is governed by the Education (Student
Support) (Wales) Regulations 2018 (available online at
[4]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2018/1... with
amendments available at
[5]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/af...).  Previous
study is not taken into account if it is a different mode of study i.e.
full time or part time, This applies whether the student received a
qualification or not. The exception to this is if the customer has gained
an honours degree or is applying for an Equivalent or Lower Qualification.
 

A decision on eligibility, and if eligible any entitlement, can only be
confirmed once an applicant has submitted a fully completed student
finance application and any evidence requested by the funding body which
is required to assess the application.  

Internal review process

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review.

Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date
of receipt of the response to your original request and should be
addressed to the Freedom of Information Office, Student Loans Company
Limited, 100 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, G2 7JD,   Email:
[SLC request email].  Please remember to quote the reference number
above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane  
Wilmslow  
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

Louise Chapman | Legal Executive
Student Loans Company
100 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 7JD
e: 32080  t: 0141 306 2080

[6]www.slc.co.uk
Follow us at [7]Twitter/SLCcomms for the latest corporate news and updates

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/...
2. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/af...
3. https://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/medi...
4. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2018/1...
5. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/af...
6. file:///tmp/www.slc.co.uk
7. file:///tmp/www.Twitter.com/SLCcomms