Degree with foundation year - how to apply for funding
Student funding regulations do not allow for standalone foundation years. Therefore, Universities need to put in place a process to ensure students who have completed a foundation year receive their full entitlement of funding.
To ensure you receive the correct funding package having begun on a foundation year course, you will need to select the appropriate course name including foundation year, as outlined below.
Progressing from Foundation Year to Main Degree
Once you are nearing the end of your foundation year of study, you will need to make a re-application to Student Finance for your following year of study. In order to make sure you are correctly funded throughout the duration of your course, then please take note of the following:
A foundation year is technically classed as Year 0. When you move from your foundation year and into your main degree, you will need to select that you are entering ‘Year 1’ of the degree course (not year 2).
How do I determine which course to choose?
Once you have completed your foundation year and decided upon your main degree of choice, you will need to search for your course name with the appropriate suffix “(main degree)… with foundation year” when applying for student finance.
For example, if you had completed a foundation year and you were going on to study your main degree in English, you will now choose “English with Foundation Year”. This will ensure that you will be funded for the period of your foundation year, plus the length of your main degree in English. This is important as it informs the Student Loans Company of the correct years and therefore the correct funding for your course.
IND/INT variants*:
If you would like to apply for a study abroad or a work placement year, then you will need to select your main degree with foundation year, and select the appropriate variant:
INT = Study Abroad
IND = Work Placement
The usual funding entitlement is for the standard length of your course plus one additional year, commonly referred to as the ‘gift year’. During your gift year Student Finance England will pay the full package of support, for which you are eligible, and it is usually given if you need to repeat a period of study.
*Please note that all students moving into the first year of their main degree (not including Foundation Year) should not select the an INT/IND variant, as there are certain pre-requisites which are needed to be met in your first year of study before being allowed onto an INT/IND year. Please ask your school directly for further information regarding these pre-requisites.
Help
If you cannot find the correct course to choose, you think your course might be missing in the search list or if you need any further help relating to this, then please contact the Funding team:
- Email funding@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone 0113 343 2007