Eligibility For UK Government Master's Loan

D

My son has a BA and an MA from an EU university; and they were entirely self/family funded. There was absolutely no UK governmental financial support/assistance involved.
He now wishes to pursue a change of career path and has identified an MSc conversion course at a UK university which would enable him to do that. Would he be eligible for a UK Government Master's Loan to fund that course? As stated he does hold an MA from a non-UK university.
PS. The whole family are British citizens and UK resident.

D

https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan/eligibility

Not to be funny or anything but it does say right there on the government website that you're not eligible if you already have a Masters degree or equivalent. I take that fairly unequivocally to mean that a non-UK MA makes you ineligible.

D

DJC RESPONSE TO directdrive's comment:-
Your comment is both facile & simplistic! There is an ambiguity which you fail/choose not to recognise. The loan application form - upon which the loan award decision is made - specifically refers only to ineligibility IF the applicant has received prior funding from SF England, SF Wales, SF NI or Student Awards Scotland. My son has not had any such funding; so, prima facie, should be eligible! The loan guidelines, to which you refer, states ineligibility if already holding a Masters; BUT, in view of what the application form states, that might imply or suggest that it is ONLY a UK awarded Masters that would render the applicant ineligible since there would have been indirect assistance already given simply by virtue of attending a UK university even if there had been no direct UK government (loan) assistance to the student in gaining that UK Master's degree. If so, then there might be a degree of discretion available to the assessors of the Master's loan application for students having my son's circumstances, ie an EU Masters. That was the point of my query herein. Directdrive, do you now understand that the situation may not be as clear cut as you confidently say?? I was searching for a serious reply to my query not the superficial 'analysis' you provide.
I would welcome insightful responses from any other readers to my query.

Avatar for BugsBunny

DJC, what part of "you already have a master’s degree, or a qualification that’s equivalent or higher" as a criterion for exclusion do you not understand? Maybe if you yell BY WRITING ALL IN CAPITALS they might accept your sons' application. Also, was he not able to look this up himself?

D

Quote From DJC:
DJC RESPONSE TO directdrive's comment:-
Your comment is both facile & simplistic! There is an ambiguity which you fail/choose not to recognise. The loan application form - upon which the loan award decision is made - specifically refers only to ineligibility IF the applicant has received prior funding from SF England, SF Wales, SF NI or Student Awards Scotland. My son has not had any such funding; so, prima facie, should be eligible! The loan guidelines, to which you refer, states ineligibility if already holding a Masters; BUT, in view of what the application form states, that might imply or suggest that it is ONLY a UK awarded Masters that would render the applicant ineligible since there would have been indirect assistance already given simply by virtue of attending a UK university even if there had been no direct UK government (loan) assistance to the student in gaining that UK Master's degree. If so, then there might be a degree of discretion available to the assessors of the Master's loan application for students having my son's circumstances, ie an EU Masters. That was the point of my query herein. Directdrive, do you now understand that the situation may not be as clear cut as you confidently say?? I was searching for a serious reply to my query not the superficial 'analysis' you provide.
I would welcome insightful responses from any other readers to my query.


My other comment was deleted, so how about this. Is an MA from the EU recognized as a Masters-level qualification in the UK? There's your answer.

62479