Change in course a problem?

Former Member

I've just done two years of a Computer Systems course, I failed the second year, but I want to change my course completley, to Sports Science. The last two years, I was offered a full grant and loan; will I be able to get another one for this new degree? Or are you only allowed one loan/grant per degree?

Any positive advice appreciated.

Former Member

With such a drastic change, you will probably have to take the whole of the new course.

Generally you can get student finance as long as you don't already have a degree so you probably can. Best people to try and talk to will be your LEA and the student finance lot at your uni.

Former Member

Been there done that - changed courses and universities after my first year, failed a second year... all the drama, love it (not).

1. Fees (LEA)

Presuming you're in the UK and you were eligable for full support.

My advice is based on the old scheme, not top-up fees because I started my course ages ago - although it might apply to both schemes anyway.

There is such a thing called a 'false start' where they will fund you from the start again but this only applies to people changing course within the first year of study. If you're in your 2nd year, it won't apply.

In any case, the LEA is obliged to provide you with the fee funding for the total number of years that you originally applied for. If you then change course, fail, whatever, they will still give you the original number of years funding less the number of years already studied.

For example if:

You apply for a 3 year course
You study on it for 2 years
You then change course to a new one starting again for 3 years

LEA will have agreed to fund you for 3 years (by your original course)
At the time of changing course they will already have given you 2 years funding
So for your new course you have 1 year left of funding to use, which will be applied to your new course.
Talk to your LEA but its likely you will have to pay yourself for the final 2 years of the new course.


You can always re-apply and ask your LEA anyway, but in my case I had to pay for the last year of study myself. If this is the case, talk to your university incase they have some sort of hardship fund you could apply to in order to help provide some money towards the cost of fees.


2. Student Loans

Not sure whether the below applies to second degrees after you already graduate with the first - but it definately applies to anyone studying for their first degree regardless of whether they have changed course, re-sit a year etc.

Because you will have been considered to have 'completed' your first course (i.e. you're not on it anymore) you are now responsible for paying back the portion of loan that you took whilst on that course.

You do still have the £15k threshold applying to that though - so you won't pay anything back unless you earn over that amount a year, which, as a student you probably won't..... but IF you did earn more than that then you will start having to pay monthly installments for repayments regardless of the fact your still a Student.

The portion of loan you are current borrowing for your new course will just add up until you finish that course and then you will pay that back on completion as per normal.

That's what caught me - I always thought that you didn't have to pay back a student loan until you are no longer a student regardless of how much you earnt, which is true if you stay on the same course BUT because you change course, its different for you.



I hope that all makes sense, I've tried to be as clear as possible, ask me if you need anything but more importantly talk to your student advisors, loans company, LEA if you want clarifiction on the above.

-Jess-