Can You Get Student Finance If You Dropped Out of University? Previous Study Rules for an HND
Lots of people start a degree and do not finish it. Maybe the course was wrong. Maybe money ran out, or a family problem took over, or you got ill. Years later, you want another go, and one worry sits at the front of your mind.
Can you get student finance if you dropped out of university before?
For most people, the answer is yes. The rules are called the previous study rules. They are not simple, but they are fair, and an HND is often the best fit for someone with a year or two of old study behind them. This guide explains how the counting works and what to do next.
How does Student Finance England count your years?
Student Finance England gives each person a set number of years of tuition fee loan. The sum is easy.
Take the length of the new course you want to do. Add one extra year. Then take away every year you have already spent on a higher education course in the UK.
The extra year is often called a gift year. It is there because the government knows that people change their minds, and one false start should not stop you for good.
Here is how it looks in practice.
- You did one year of a degree and left. You now want a two-year HND. The sum is two, plus one, minus one. That leaves two years, which is the whole HND. You are fully funded.
- You did two years of a degree and left. You now want a two-year HND. The sum is two, plus one, minus two. That leaves one year. You get funding for the second year of the HND, and you would pay the first year yourself.
- You did a full three-year degree and finished it. That is a different rule, called the ELQ rule. Our guide to student finance for an HND if you already have a degree covers that case.
When you have less funding than the course needs, the funding is given to the last years of the course, not the first. That matters, and we come back to it below.
What counts as a year of previous study?
A year counts if you were on a higher education course in the UK that was eligible for public funding. It does not matter whether you took the loan or not. It does not matter whether you passed or failed. If you were enrolled on a funded course for an academic year, that year is counted.
A few things do not count.
- Study at Level 3 or below, such as A Levels or an Access course.
- A course you studied outside the UK.
- A fully private course that was never eligible for public funding.
If you left in the first term, the year may still count. Student Finance England looks at whether you were enrolled on the first day of the academic year. Leaving early does not wipe the year out.
If you are unsure about an old course, ask Student Finance England to check your record. They can tell you how many years are on file before you apply.
What is a gift year, and have you already used it?
You get one gift year in total, not one per course. If you have already used it on a previous attempt, it is gone.
For example, say you started a degree, left after a year, then started a different degree and left after two years. That is three years of study. You now want a two-year HND. The sum is two, plus one, minus three. That is zero. The gift year has been used up, and on the standard rule you would get no tuition fee loan.
That sounds bad. But it is not the end of the story, because of the next rule.
What does compelling personal reasons mean?
If you left a course for a good reason that was out of your control, Student Finance England can give back the years you lost. The term for this is compelling personal reasons, often shortened to CPR.
Reasons that are usually accepted include the following.
- Illness, including mental health problems.
- Bereavement, such as the death of a parent or partner.
- Caring for a sick relative.
- Pregnancy or childbirth.
- A serious family breakdown.
- Being the victim of a crime.
Reasons that are usually not accepted include changing your mind, not liking the course, running out of money, or failing your exams without anything else going on.
To claim compelling personal reasons, you write a short letter explaining what happened and when. You send it with evidence. A doctor's letter, a death certificate, a letter from a counsellor or a hospital discharge note all work. The college you left may also be able to confirm that you withdrew for the reason you describe.
If your claim is accepted, the years you lost are not counted. The sum above goes back in your favour. You can claim compelling personal reasons for each separate time you left a course, as long as each one had its own reason.
Can you still get a maintenance loan?
Yes, in most cases.
The previous study rules mainly affect the tuition fee loan. The maintenance loan, which helps with rent and bills, works differently. If you are on an eligible full-time course and you meet the normal residence rules, you can usually still apply for a maintenance loan even in a year where the tuition fee loan is not available.
Extra grants work the same way. If you have children, the Childcare Grant and the Parents' Learning Allowance are not cut off by previous study. If you have a disability or a long-term condition, Disabled Students' Allowance is not cut off either.
So a year with no tuition fee loan is a year where you pay the fee yourself, not a year with no help at all.
Why is an HND a good fit if you dropped out before?
There are three reasons we see again and again.
An HND is two years, not three. That means you need fewer years of funding to cover it. One year of old study still leaves you fully funded for a two-year HND. The same old year would leave a three-year degree one year short.
An HND, or Higher National Diploma, is a Level 5 course. Level 5 is the same standard as the second year of a degree. If you finish the HND, you can go on to a one-year top-up and come out with a full BA (Hons). So the route still ends at a degree. Our guide to how long an HND takes shows the whole path.
An HND is assessed by coursework rather than exams, and classes are usually in compact blocks. Many of our students left university because the way it was taught did not suit them, and they find the HND format much easier to stick with. Our post on returning to education after 30 talks through that adjustment.
What if you are one year short of funding?
Remember that funding goes to the last years of the course. If you have one year of tuition fee loan for a two-year HND, that loan covers year two. You pay year one yourself.
Some people see this as a problem. Many see it as a plan. Paying for one year of an HND is a lot cheaper than paying for a whole degree, and you can spread it. Ask the college about paying in instalments across the year. Some employers will also pay part of a course fee if it relates to your job.
If you are two years short, the first thing to do is check whether compelling personal reasons applies. If it does, the problem may disappear. If it does not, ask the college about part-time study, because part-time funding is counted differently and may give you more room. Our guide to part-time HND options explains how that works.
How do you apply after dropping out?
The application is the same form everyone fills in. The difference is that you need to be honest and clear about your old study.
- Apply online through Student Finance England as soon as applications open, usually in the spring before your course starts.
- In the section on previous study, list every higher education course you have been on, with the dates. Do not leave one out. Student Finance England has records and will find it, and a missing course delays your application.
- If you left for a compelling personal reason, tick the box to say so and send your letter and evidence with the application.
- Wait for your entitlement letter. It tells you how many years of tuition fee loan you have been given.
- If the result looks wrong, ask for it to be looked at again. Mistakes happen, especially with old courses, and they are fixed more often than people expect.
Our guide to student finance for adult learners on an HND walks through the rest of the form.
Does dropping out affect your old loan?
Your old loan is still there, but it does not affect your new application. You pay it back in the normal way, which is only once you earn above the repayment threshold, and a small percentage of what you earn above it. Taking a new loan adds to the total, but your monthly repayment is based on your income, not on the size of the debt. So a second go at study does not make your payslip any smaller than it would have been with one loan.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get student finance if I dropped out of university?
Usually, yes. You get the length of your new course plus one year, minus the years you have already studied. If you left for a reason out of your control, those years can be given back.
Does a year I failed still count?
Yes. A year counts whether you passed, failed or left early.
Can I get student finance for an HND after dropping out of a degree?
Yes. Because an HND is two years, one year of old study still leaves you fully funded.
What if I dropped out twice?
Each time you left can be looked at on its own. If both times were for compelling personal reasons, both can be given back. If not, your gift year covers one of them.
Will I still get a maintenance loan?
In most cases, yes, even in a year where the tuition fee loan is not available.
Ready to try again?
If you started a degree and did not finish it, you are not alone, and it does not shut the door. Many of the students on the HND Business and the HND Hospitality Management at LCK Academy have been where you are. Tell us about your old study when you get in touch, and we will help you work out what funding you can expect before you commit.
- Email: admissions@lckacademy.org.uk
- Phone: 020 8161 3300
Get in touch and we will talk it through with you.