Previous study and equivalent and lower qualifications
Have you:
previously completed a degree or masters level qualification?
started a higher education course but withdrawn without gaining a qualification?
completed a foundation degree and looking to top-up?
If you’ve previously started or completed any higher education qualifications, we recommend you read the information on this page and check your eligibility with Student Finance England.
If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, check the website of the relevant funding body for their specific criteria relating to previous study.
Prospective students from the EU should visit our EU student finance page for more information.
How does previous study affect how much funding I will receive for my new course?
If you’ve studied a higher education course before (at Level 4 or Level 5), even if you didn’t complete it, this may have an impact on the funding you can receive from student finance. We recommend UK students check their student funding entitlement with Student Finance England.
To find out how your previous higher education study may impact your eligibility for financial support, please view the relevant dropdown box below.
I already have a degree or higher education level qualification.
If you’ve already obtained a degree or other higher education qualification, you’ll be unable to receive a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan for a course that’s at an equivalent or lower level.
There are some exceptions for students joining selected pre-registration health and social care degrees or two-year initial teacher training degrees, for more information see the section on course exemptions.
Students on the MBChB (with or without foundation year) would be ineligible for the first 4 years of their programme for a Fee Loan from Student Finance England but may be eligible for a Maintenance loan and supplementary grants. From year 5 (or 5 and 6 for MBChB foundation year students) you’d then become eligible for both fee, maintenance and supplementary allowance support for these later years from the NHSBSA and could get a reduced rate maintenance loan. We always recommend you check with your funding organisation for further details.
I have previously withdrawn or transferred from a higher education course.
If you suspended your course or withdrew before it finished, you may still get funding for a new course.
Below is an overview of how to calculate your entitlement to a tuition fee loan:
Step 1 – Check how long your new course is in years
Step 2 – Add one extra year
Step 3 – Calculate how many years of full-time higher education study you have previously undertaken. If you studied for part of a year, you should count it as a whole year
Step 4 – Deduct the number calculated in step three from the number calculated in step two, to work out the number of years you are entitled to the standard financial support package.
For example, if you want to undertake a new three-year full-time degree and withdrew from a previous university course after one year, the calculation would be as follows:
Length of new course + one year = 4 years
Minus 1 year of previous, full-time university study = 3 years of student funding
Personal reasons
If you stopped your previous studies for a personal reason (for example, you were ill or pregnant), you could be eligible to receive an extra year of tuition fee support – you should apply online with supporting evidence.
Before you apply, we strongly recommend that you get in touch with the University’s Money Advice Team – scroll down for contact details.
I want to ‘top up’ my foundation degree.
If you’ve completed a foundation degree and want to ‘top up’ your qualification by studying a conversion programme, you should be eligible to apply for the standard financial support package for conversion degree students.
If you’ve had to repeat a year or more of your previous course, your eligibility to receive funding for the progression route may be restricted and you should get in touch for clarification – scroll down for contact details.
I’d like to study part-time, but I’ve previously withdrawn or transferred from a higher education course.
If you’ve previously studied on a full-time higher education course without obtaining a qualification, this previous study should not impact on your eligibility for financial support for a part-time undergraduate course. You’ll need to be studying at least 25% of an eligible full-time course to receive a tuition fee loan and your maintenance loan entitlement will also consider your intensity of study.
If you’ve previously studied on a part-time course, this may impact your eligibility to receive a tuition fee loan as a part-time student. Get in touch with us for further advice (see contact details below).
Which courses are exempt from previous study rules?
Health and social care programmes
Pre-registration programmes in Midwifery, Nurse Paramedic (Adult), Nursing, Nursing & Social Work (MNSW awards), and Operating Department Practice are exempt from previous study rules.
This means, if you’ll be studying a degree in one of these subjects, you may still be eligible for financial support even if you have previously enrolled on higher education study or if the pre-registration degree is of an equivalent or lower level to a qualification you already hold.
Initial teacher training (two-years)
If you’re joining an initial teacher training degree of two years in length, you can expect to be eligible to apply for the standard financial support package for undergraduate students as previous study is disregarded.
If you intend to join an initial training degree of three years in length, previous study will be considered.
The above exemptions apply for Student Finance England. You should contact the relevant funding body for confirmation of your eligibility.
Get in touch with us
If you think your eligibility to receive financial support may be affected by previous study, or if the programme you intend to study at Edge Hill University is of an equivalent or lower level to a higher education qualification you already hold, it is important to clarify your situation.
You do not have to be a student or applicant to contact us. Our friendly support services can provide advice and, in some cases, may also be able to help you in dealing with Student Finance England to improve your funding.
Academic Registry
If you have any queries about tuition fees, you can email Academic Registry.
If you have any questions about previous study and the potential impact it may have on your eligibility for financial support, you can get in touch with the Money Advice Team.