Open University

As OU is oficially classed as a part time course there is no financial help at all, you can't even get student discounts on council tax. WHat support you get will very much depend on the course, the tutors etc, some are helpful some are not. As you won't be on site, there may be limits as to what help you can get.

An ex of mine did a degree with them and was very disapointed, there were a lot of things that he felt were not made clear and he ended up feeling that it was missold, he stuck with it because he was only really dong it for the piece of paper, but some of his fellow students were really angry that what they thought would be a pathway to a job in computing actually wans't because the language they were being taught in wan't used in business.

I did an undergraduate OU degree many years ago.

All the staff encountered — administration, disabled student support, course tutors, etc., were excellent and most accommodating in finding solutions to issues and difficulties. I sat my exams in a room on my own with an invigilator. I was allowed rest breaks if required but no extra time to complete the exams.

I didn’t request any equipment to help me with my studies but I know some other students got the loan of laptops, special chairs, audio equipment etc., and some received coursework in other formats. I didn’t apply for a maintenance grant.

The OU continues to send me correspondence and from what they say, they seem to have retained that inclusive, supportive and accommodating element.

Hello Kate Kestrel.

It’s funny you mention this - I am considering pursuing a degree with the Open University, I may have to take note of this topic myself!

While this is not my experience, a friend of mine applied to the OU where disclosing additional needs, receiving a good degree of support, ranging from adapted equipment to educational concessions such as extra time for coursework & adjustable study hours.

While I can see that our fantastic community has fantastic input to give, I would like to pass on NAS resources related to university level education.

starting college or university

Best of luck with navigating education, you have every right to succeed.

Thanks - Mod Zac

I did a couple of courses years ago and mistakenly thought that I could take long breaks between and accumulate a degree.

However, I later found out that the degree needs to be completed within a certain number of years, so I wasted a lot of money and effort.

All the best to your son with this.

 Hi there, a couple of years ago I started doing a module for a Psychology degree when I was 20, but stopped due to personal circumstances. From what I remember, you would need to inform them as soon as you can about any disabilities. With assignments you can ask for extensions within a certain time period. I don't think I applied for maintenance grants with the OU, but I remember Student Finance England being very difficult to navigate and manage, so a heads up about that. With the OU specifically I personally found my tutor to be very supportive, especially when giving feedback on assignments. I do remember asking them to clarify what they meant when giving me feedback and it was helpful.