Changing Course

You may feel like you're on the wrong course. The University will do everything it can to ensure you are happy with the direction of your studies.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT OTHER COURSES ARE ON OFFER? 

If you are considering changing course within the University of Wolverhampton, you may wish to visit the Higher Education Shopto find out more about other courses or use the University's course finder. You could also discuss your options with your personal tutor, who can be contacted through your school office.

WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHANGING COURSE?

You should also consider any financial implications of changing course - for example, how this might affect your tuition fee support. It is vital that you talk to your Local Authority (LA) about this, as individual circumstances may vary.

In general, full-time undergraduate honours students are entitled to 3 years' tuition fee funding (i.e. fee loan for students who started after September 2006 and fee grant for students who started before September 2006) from their LA to cover 3 years of study, plus an additional 1 year's tuition fee support should they need to repeat 1 year. That means, unless you have 'compelling personal reasons', your LA will only ever provide you with a maximum of 4 years' tuition fee support in higher education. Once you've used up this entitlement, you will have to pay your own tuition fees.

For example, if you've completed 2 years of your course, you will have used up 2 years of tuition fee funding. Should you wish to start from the beginning (Year 1) on a new 3-year course, you will have to pay your own fees for one year because you will only have two years of LA funding left:

4 years' entitlement LESS 2 years already used from current course = 2 years of funding left on new course

Under LA rules you would have to support yourself during Year 1 of the new course and the LA would fund you for Year 2 and Year 3.

If you're transferring to a new 3-year course at the end of Year 1, you will normally still have 3 years of LA funding left to complete your new course. However, you should be aware that if you need to retake at any point on your new course, you will have to self-fund (unless you can show the LA that you have compelling personal reasons).

Regardless of your entitlement to tuition fee funding, you can normally continue to have a student loan for maintenance (up to £4,510 for 2007-08) for as many years as you need it.

It is important that you clarify the financial implications with you LA before you transfer courses.

I KNOW WHICH COURSE I WANT TO CHANGE TO. HOW DO I CHANGE MY COURSE? 

If you decide that you want to change course, then you must first of all check that you have the relevant qualifications for the new course and check that there are places available. You should do this by speaking to the admissions tutor of your new course.

Assuming you have the qualifications and that there are places available, you should then let your present award leader know that you wish to change courses. You can contact your award leader through your school office.

You should print off an Internal Transfer form from e:vision, and get it signed by both the award leader of your present course and the award leader of your new course. Hand it into Registry once complete.

HOW DO I TRANSFER TO A COURSE AT A DIFFERENT INSTITUTION?

You should contact your chosen institution to confirm there are places available on your course, to check you have the relevant qualifications and to ask whether you can transfer any credit you have accumulated at the University of Wolverhampton. You can find out more about courses at other institutions at the Unistats website.

You should print off an External Transfer form from e:vision, complete it and hand it into Registry. Take a copy to your new institution and keep your Local Authority informed of your move.

You are strongly advised to consult with your Local Authority before you make any kind of course change, as this could have an effect on your student funding.