For the last couple of years I've known that my final Open University course would be the Children's Literature one. I loved it when I was at University and our summer assignment for one subject was to read and review as many children's books as we could. I think I managed about fifteen (half of those were from the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events).
I was wondering whether my planned next course might chance once I'd actually done the second level literature course (that I'm still waiting for my results for) but if anything it just made it more definite. I think I could happily study more Shakespeare, but I definitely don't want to study any more recent literature; the final bit of the course just didn't hold my attention the way the earlier bit did. Children's literature is different though, and having seen the reading list, I can't wait to get started.
That is if I actually am able to send my registration stuff off.
You see, in Scotland, if your earnings are below a certain threshold, then you qualify for a grant to pay your fees for you (as a part-time student). Each year I've had to go through the rigamarole of applying for this financial support because each year my circumstances have changed meaning I can't just tick the little box that said something along the lines of 'my circumstances have not changed since I last completed this application'.
Until this year!
Two and a half weeks ago I happily filled in my course registration, thinking longingly of that bit of the application. I'd be able to get it all printed out and submitted to the OU within a couple of days and rest assured that it was all in hand.
Imagine my surprise when I completed the registration stuff and then found that it wasn't giving me the financial support link. I sent off an email which didn't get a response for a couple of days (which basically just said I see you've now successfully registered for your course, contact us if you have any more problems) by which time I'd received an email with a link to the SAAS website to apply for the grant.
It seems you now have to do it through SAAS rather than through a link on the OU website. Of course, I'm still stuck. The form has two options; you've either applied for a grant before or you haven't. Obviously I have, but as I did it through the OU before I don't have my ILA number or a SAAS number which is the first question it then asks you. After a week of waiting for a response to the email I sent the OU about what I should do here I'm thinking I should just go ahead, fill in the form and hope for the best.
At least once I've actually succeeded in filling in the forms for the course, the actual essays should be a piece of cake!
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