Funding for repeat study
This information is for UK/Home full-time undergraduate students who meet the eligibility rules to receive Student Finance England (SFE) funding and are repeating a year of their course or repeating modules. The arrangements may differ if you are funded from elsewhere. Contact your own funding organisation for more information.
You are normally entitled to funding for the standard length of your course plus one extra year. SFE often refer to this as a 'gift year'. The gift year can be used to fund a full or part year repeat. During this time, you continue to be eligible for all the SFE loans and grants you usually receive.
Part-year repeats and ‘in attendance’
If you have not passed all the required modules to progress to the next year of your course, and you are permitted to repeat failed modules only. This may not always be a repeat of the full academic year but a repetition of specific terms or part terms. You will remain registered on a full-time course, and you should apply for full-time funding. Your student funding is prorated for part-year support. If you are in attendance for only part of the academic year, you will be entitled to maintenance funding for the period that you are in attendance.
You can use your online account to tell SFE if you’re repeating study. If your student finance application has already been approved by SFE, our finance team can submit a Change of Circumstances Form on your behalf to notify SFE of your repeat study.
If you have studied before
If you need to repeat a year of your course more than once or you’ve previously studied on a higher education course in the past, you may have used your gift year of funding already. Therefore, you will not be entitled to a Tuition Fee Loan for your repeat year, and you will have to pay your own tuition fees for that year. You will be eligible for maintenance loan and grants for dependants, if applicable.
If you are repeating the year because Compelling Personal Circumstances (CPR) affected your study, for example, illness, pregnancy or bereavement (other circumstances can be considered), Student Finance England may, at their discretion, award an extra year of funding to you. It is known as a CPR year of funding.
You can apply for a CPR year retrospectively. For example, if you have already used your gift year to fund a repeat year but CPR issues caused the repeat, you can ask SFE to backdate a CPR year. If agreed, this would release your gift year. Your gift year can then be used to fund your current repeat year instead. This is very useful especially if you cannot provide CPR evidence for your current repeat year.
For more information including how to apply for CPR, visit the webpage here.
Reassessment without attendance
If you are not in attendance and completing a resit or resubmitting, as assessment only, because you have already attended the taught sessions. You will not be charged tuition fees and therefore you will not normally be eligible for student loans.
You can contact SFE if you would like to discuss your individual circumstances further or require any further advice and support.
Other sources of support
If you have any questions about your reassessment position, please consult your Course Tutor or the Assessment Team.
The Money Advice Team are available to provide funding advice, please contact the team using the Student Enquiry Point if you do have any questions.
Student Finance Providers:
Student Finance Northern Ireland
Student Awards Agency Scotland