Compelling Personal Reasons

A question about : Compelling Personal Reasons

Hi all. I previously attended an undergraduate BSc Computer Science course (2003-2007) during which I repeated my 2nd year and then withdrew during my final year. Under student finance wales rules this means I am no longer eligible for any loans, grants or support beyond the maintenance loan as I have used up my 3+1 gift year. This is extremely unhelpfulas I'm hoping to attend a local university as a mature student this September.

I suffer from severe depression and generalised anxiety disorder to the point where I have been unfit for work for the last 7 months. My first visit to a GP (ever) was in 2013 where I was diagnosed as depressed with anxiety issues, then ever since it has been a case of medications and return visits, a few suicide attempts and generally my condition becoming more evident.

Having spoken to a medical practitioner yesterday he said it was more than likely that I've suffered with these problems all of my life. Whilst at university there were certainly signs of it: I would regularly miss lectures due to exhaustion, I made no friends on my course as I'm extremely socially anxious, I was put in a student house (not halls of residence) in my first year so this added to my isolation, inhibiting my ability to develop social skills, and when I finally moved to halls of residence in my final year I was in such financial difficulties that I had to withdraw. I had barely been attending lectures, assumedly due to the aforementioned problems, so I phoned my mother in February 07 in fits of tears and she just told me to come home immediately. The university passed my outstanding accommodation fees on to a debt collector who hounded me constantly despite the fact that I'd just dropped out of uni. Finally there was another complication during my time there-my student mentor. Not only did I only meet him on 2-3 occasions during my entire time there, not once discussing my attendance or integration with the uni - only an introduction and plans for my final year project. Then came the news that in my final year my tutor had left/moved to another department. My new tutor (who I met twice-again only discussing the project) wanted me to abandon my original project plan completely, despite my having a real passion for my original plan, and instead he wanted me to work with a local charity to help develop their website or something equally uninteresting. Basically I had no mentoring during my whole time at the uni.

I've asked the university to compile a summary of the above from their perspective. I'm also seeing my GP this afternoon to discuss how my illness may have been a factor during my time at university and if she thinks it was a compelling contribution to my time there, especially from the point of my failed second year onwards. If she agrees and is willing to write a letter of support, alongside the document of events from the university, do you think this is a strong enough case to have my funding reinstated? Apologies for the wall of text but this is playing on my mind continuously.

Best answers:

• Didn't want to read and run, but this is way beyond the scope of these forums, I would have said.
• Fair enough. Fingers crosses, then.
  I guess what I meant is that it is outside the scope of what I know and the sorts of things I've seen on here.
• Above might be a reference to myself. I'll take a full look over things at the weekend if that's ok, as just a quick browse now as things are a bit busy.
• Couple of points come to mind...
  Are you hoping to start over for a different degree, or complete the one you were studying?
  You have explained you are getting support now, so hopefully things will be easier for you, do you think you are now able to cope with the pressure of uni life - and if not, what support do you think you will need to be able to complete a degree.
  I'm thinking you ought be able to demonstrate what has changed, and what you may need when you put together your own argument for reinstatement.
• Ok, taken the time to read through what you've written. Just a question though, but did your old university award you any sort of qualification e.g. CertHE for the time you were on your course? I'm aware some universities do this.
  CPR should be ok if your doctor confirms, but any allocations could rely on the answer to the above.