Students undertaking a second undergraduate degree
The funding available from the government to assist undergraduate students is aimed at helping students who are undertaking a course at university for the first time.
Students who already hold an Honours degree
If you already hold a Honours degree from either the UK or an overseas institution and you want to study for a second undergraduate degree that is at an equivalent or lower level than your existing qualification you will usually have to self-finance your second degree.
The exceptions to this rule are students who undertake a second degree which leads to a professional qualification such as a:
- medical doctor
- dentist
- veterinary doctor
- architect
Students undertaking these courses will still be entitled to apply for a maintenance loan for living expenses and other supplementary grants such as the Parents' Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant (for registered childcare), Disabled Students' Allowances and Adult Dependants' Grant.
However, they will not be entitled to apply for a *Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.
*Students undertaking the 4 year accelerated MBBS programme are eligible to take out a Tuition Fee Loan of £5,535 in each year of their course. In year 1 of the course they will be expected to self-finance the remaining £3,465 of the fee. In year 2,3 & 4 the NHS will pay the remaining £3,465.
Students who did not finish their first degree
Tuition fee loan and maintenance grant funding will usually be available for the length of the new course plus one extra year minus any years (or part years) of previous study in Higher Education. If you do not have enough entitlement to a fee loan and maintenance grant to cover the duration of your new course any remaining entitlement will be applied to the final year of your new course and worked backwards. This may mean that you would need to find the money to pay for your fees in the earlier years of your new course. Maintenance loans are usually unaffected by previous study where you did not obtain the qualification.
If you left your previous course for compelling personal reasons you may be able to ask for one additional year of tuition fee loan and maintenance grant funding but this is at the discretion of your assessment authority and you must be able to evidence these circumstances.
Contact Us
You should check your funding entitlement well in advance of commencing a new course. Your can contact us or the relevant assessment authority (e.g. Student Finance England).
Other Funding
If your entitlement to funding is reduced due to previous study you may wish to supplement your income by investigating other sources of funding such as external charity and trust funding or private borrowing. You should note that the Access to Learning Fund cannot be used to assist any student with the payment of their tuition fees.
