Transferring out | University College Birmingham

If you wish to transfer to another University or college, then please contact your year manager in the first instance for further advice and guidance. They will be able advise you on how to proceed and who to notify. There is further information below which may give you some advice on the financial implications.

Transferring to a new higher education provider (HEP) part-way through your university course may have some impact on your ability to obtain funding from Student Finance. Please read below for the most common scenarios encountered by our students. However, if you have any further questions or if your circumstances do not feature in the list below, we recommend visiting the Finance Office on the 1^st floor of The Link, in order to seek advice and guidance from the Student Finance team here at University College Birmingham.

Before reading the guidance below, it is important to know that Student Finance use a particular funding calculation when determining whether a student has tuition fee loan funding available for their course. This is:

Length of course in years + 1 additional year – number of years of previous study.

This calculation is used in order to allow students to access an extra year of study if it is needed, e.g. if they are required to repeat modules or if they wish to transfer programme. However, if more than one extra year of funding is required, this can cause a student to exhaust their entitlement to tuition fee loan funding from Student Finance. It is therefore important to consider your options before transferring to a new provider. Please note that maintenance loan can continue to be accessed with no restrictions, but if a student has received too much maintenance loan they will enter overpayment and Student Finance will take steps to retrieve this money. For more information about maintenance overpayments, please click here.

Student has completed one or more academic years at University College Birmingham, and wishes to transfer to a new HEP.

Should they wish to then transfer to another institution for the subsequent academic year, the student need only apply as a brand new student to their new institution. Where possible, they should inform us that they are no longer returning to University College Birmingham, and cite the reason why. If the student simply continues study at the new HEP (e.g. completes year 1 at University College Birmingham and transfers into year 2 at the new HEP), their funding should not be impacted, therefore their additional year of funding will still be available to use should it be required at the new HEP. However, if the student embarks on a completely new course (e.g. completes year 1 at University College Birmingham and transfers into year 1 at the new HEP), they will have used up their additional year of funding. This means that although the student will be able to obtain funding for the new course at the new HEP, the additional year of funding will not be available to that student if required in the future.

If a student has completed more than one year at University College Birmingham and then wishes to start a new course elsewhere, the funding calculation above is likely to mean that the student does not have enough years of funding left to access a tuition fee loan for every year of their new course. Any years of funding the student does have, will be awarded to the final year of the course first, then to the penultimate year and so on. The onus will therefore be upon the student to fund their course themselves for any years where a tuition fee loan cannot be accessed. Students are encouraged to speak to their new HEP for advice about any support offered by them, e.g. scholarships, grants or payment plans.

Student transfers to new HEP within the same enrolment period, having had attendance at University College Birmingham.

If a student begins the academic year at University College Birmingham and has any attendance, but then decides that they wish to transfer to another HEP, the student needs to be aware that they would be liable for at least 25% of the fees, and it is University College Birmingham’s right to claim these fees from SLC. Should they transfer to a new HEP during the same enrolment period, that provider would only be able to obtain the remaining 75% of the student’s tuition fee loan. That student is likely to be liable to pay the remaining 25% of their fees at the new provider. They should speak with the new HEP before enrolling, for advice.
UK students transferring out of University College Birmingham would need to log onto their online account and notify student finance of ‘a change of circumstance’. Alternatively, they can notify student finance about the change of circumstance by completing a CO1 form. EU students would need to complete an EUCO1 form. They cannot notify student finance online. Alternatively, the relevant department at the new HEP is able to provide a transfer notification to Student Finance.

Student transfers to a new HEP at the start of a new enrolment period, having had attendance at University College Birmingham.

If a student begins an academic year at University College Birmingham and has attendance, before transferring to a new HEP at a later enrolment period (e.g. student attends University College Birmingham from September-November and then transfers to a new HEP for a course that starts in January), the period of study at University College Birmingham will count as a period of funding, and UCB will claim the relevant percentage of tuition fee loan. However, as the student is transferring to a new HEP for a later enrolment period, the new HEP will also be able to obtain 100% of tuition fees.

Student has enrolled at University College Birmingham but has not attended, then transfers to a new HEP.

If the student enrols at University College Birmingham, but does have any attendance on their course, they will not be liable for any fees here and therefore 100% of their tuition fee allocation can be awarded to their new institution. They would need to follow the steps in section 2 depending upon whether they are an English or EU student. This should not impact their funding. However, if you have received an instalment of maintenance loan from Student Finance (because University College Birmingham confirmed you had enrolled), you will not be entitled to this and Student Finance will take steps to retrieve this payment (either by reducing any future maintenance instalments, or by asking you to make immediate repayment).

Student has applied for funding at University College Birmingham but starts at a new HEP without enrolling at University College Birmingham.

If a student has applied for student finance for University College Birmingham, but has not yet enrolled here, then would just need to follow the steps in section 2. Their preferred HEP should receive 100% of the tuition fee allocation. This should not impact their funding.

Can University College Birmingham notify Student Finance that I am transferring to a new HEP?

No, University College Birmingham does not have the facility to advise Student Finance if one of our students is moving to a new HEP. We can only advise Student Finance of students who are withdrawing. Students can however ask their new HEP to notify Student Finance of the transfer.

I think I have run out of funding from Student Finance, but I have to transfer HEP for health/family reasons; what should I do?

If you are transferring HEP because of compelling personal reasons, you can write to Student Finance directly to notify them of this. If you provide sufficient third party evidence, Student Finance may be able to consider your compelling personal reason and if they are satisfied, can disregard the year of study during which you were experiencing these difficulties. This means that year of study will not be included in the funding calculation above. You will however still be liable to repay any loans taken out during that year.