Previous study and the effect on Student Finance England funding
This information is relevant for undergraduate students starting their degree course in September 2025.
Your previous higher education studies can affect your eligibility for Student Finance England funding for a new course.
- Incomplete previous study: if you previously enrolled in a full-time higher education course, even for just one day, but did not obtain a qualification, this will reduce your entitlement to a Student Finance England Tuition Fee Loan for a new full-time course.
- Qualifications below Honours degree: if you completed a full-time higher education course and obtained a qualification below Honours degree level, such as an ordinary degree, HND, or HNC, this will also reduce the number of years you can receive a Tuition Fee Loan for a new full-time course. This applies whether your previous study was full-time or part-time.
- Equivalent or higher qualifications: if you already hold a qualification equivalent to or higher than a UK Honours degree, you will not be eligible for a Student Finance England Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan for your new course.
RIBA Pt II funding eligibility
An exception exists for MArch RIBA Pt II Architecture students. If you studied full-time and received Student Finance England (SFE) funding for your undergraduate course, and then completed one year of work experience before continuing onto MArch, you should be eligible for SFE funding for MArch.
However, if you studied your undergraduate degree part-time or took more than a 3-year gap between completing your undergraduate degree and starting MArch RIBA Pt II, please contact Student Advice to check your funding entitlement.
If you previously withdrew from an Integrated Masters course after completing only the undergraduate element and received a BA qualification, and now wish to start a Masters Architecture course, please contact Student Advice to discuss your SFE funding entitlement.
SFE funding entitlement for students with existing qualifications
If you already hold a UK Honours degree, a higher-level qualification (such as a Master's degree), or an equivalent overseas qualification, your eligibility for Student Finance England (SFE) funding for a new course is generally affected as follows:
- Tuition Fee Loan: you will not qualify for a Tuition Fee Loan for the duration of your new course, meaning you will need to pay your own tuition fees for the entire course. This applies to both full-time and part-time courses.
- Maintenance Loan: full-time students will not be eligible for a Maintenance Loan for the duration of the course. However, there is an exception for Architecture students, who may still be eligible for a Maintenance Loan for a new course.
- Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and Dependents' Grants: you will be eligible to receive the Disabled Students' Allowance based on your needs. If you are studying full-time and have dependent children or an adult dependant, you may also be eligible for grants for dependants.
- MSci or MEng Courses: these rules also apply to MSci or MEng courses.
Overview of Your Potential SFE Funding Eligibility
| funding Type | eligibility |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fee Loan | No |
| Maintenance Loan | No (unless studying Architecture) |
| Adult Dependant's Grant | Yes |
| Childcare grant | Yes |
| Parents' Learning Allowance | Yes |
| Disabled Students' Allowance | Yes |
These rules apply regardless of whether you received SFE funding for your previous course. They also apply if you studied at an overseas institution, unless you can demonstrate that your qualification is not equivalent to a UK Honours degree. To verify the UK equivalent of your overseas qualification, you will need to contact Ecctis and submit this verification to Student Finance England for consideration.
Please note: the rules are complex, and this information provides only a basic summary. For personalized advice, please contact Student Advice.
Incomplete previous course or qualification lower than UK Honours degree
Student Finance England (SFE) provides funding for the standard duration of a course plus one additional year, known as a "gift year". For example, a three-year degree course would be eligible for four years of funding.
Previous study on a part-time degree-level course does not count and will not reduce your funding entitlement for a full-time course.
If you have previously studied on a full-time higher education course, the number of years (or part-years) you attended will reduce the number of years of funding available for your new course. This rule applies even if your previous study was outside the UK. Note that attending even one day of a course counts as one year of previous study under these rules.
While previous study reduces your entitlement to receive a Tuition Fee Loan for your new course, you will still be eligible for the Maintenance Loan (for living costs) and any additional grants for dependents and disabilities, if applicable.
If SFE does not award you a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees for any year of your new course, you will be responsible for paying your own tuition fees.
Compelling personal reasons
There is an exception to the rule regarding previous study. If you did not complete your previous course due to compelling personal reasons (CPR), such as illness or bereavement, you can provide evidence of this to Student Finance England (SFE) when applying for student funding. You can request that SFE take these reasons into account when assessing your future funding entitlement.
SFE has the discretion to award one extra year of funding if they accept that you left your last course due to valid compelling personal reasons. If you repeated any years of your previous course for compelling personal reasons, you can also ask SFE to consider this, provided you submit evidence. SFE can award additional years of funding on this basis if they accept your evidence. This can increase your entitlement to the Tuition Fee Loan for a new course.
You should also review the information about funding for repeat years. Contact Student Advice to discuss this before starting your course.
Previous part-time course
If you previously studied a part-time higher education course but did not obtain the qualification, this will be disregarded and should not affect your funding entitlement for a new full-time degree course. Additionally, any course you paid for yourself at a completely private institution should not count.
Higher National Diploma (HND)
If you previously studied for up to two years on a two-year HND or foundation degree course, you will only be eligible for two years of Tuition Fee Loan towards a new three-year degree course. This loan will be available for the last two years of your course. Therefore, if you start in the first year, you will need to pay your own fees.
If you have more than two years of previous study, your Tuition Fee Loan entitlement will be further reduced.
How will my funding be calculated?
Here's an example to illustrate the level of funding you may be eligible to receive for a new three-year undergraduate course:
- Previous study: you studied for one and a half years on a previous higher education course, which counts as two years of previous study. You then left or transferred into the first year of the new course.
- Maximum funding: the maximum number of years of Tuition Fee Loan available for a three-year course is four years (the standard duration of the course plus a gift year).
- Deduction: your two years of previous study are deducted from these four years, leaving you with two years of Tuition Fee Loan eligibility. (Note that even one day of study on a course counts as one year of previous study under these rules.)
- Funding allocation: you will receive two years of Tuition Fee Loan for your new course, covering the final two years. For the first year, you will not receive the Tuition Fee Loan and will need to pay your own tuition fees.
Calculation: 3 years (course duration) + 1 year (gift year) = 4 years (total eligibility) - 2 years (previous study) = 2 years of funding remaining (for years 2 and 3 of your new course).
You will, however, receive the Maintenance Loan for the first year (and subsequent years) of your course, and if applicable, grants for dependents or disability.
Using the same example, if you had compelling personal reasons (CPR) for leaving your previous course and Student Finance England (SFE) accepts these reasons, they may award you an extra year of Tuition Fee Loan. This additional year would cover your first year, allowing you to receive full SFE funding for the entire three years of your new degree course, rather than just the last two years (without CPR).
A year previously funded due to compelling personal reasons (CPR) is not considered as previous study.
Please contact Student Advice to discuss this before you start your course.