Thank you both for your replies!

Why isn't a 70% in the US the same as a 70% in the UK, etc? What scale is being used in the UK? Most universities in the US use a 4.0 grading scale where 90-100% = A; 80-90% = B; 70-80% = C. The midpoints between the percentages are the "plus" grades (B+, C+; there is no A+). You can't graduate with lower than a C average. My 2.3 GPA puts me at a C+, in the lower mid-70% range. Barely, but still. However, this isn't anywhere near good enough for unconditional admission to postgraduate study without me also submitting my 28 hours of completed postgraduate work with a 3.45 GPA to make up for my bad bachelors GPA.

I looked at the requirements for other countries and a lot of them only needed a bachelors degree. No specific grades were mentioned, applicants just needed a bachelors degree. What gives?

I'm from the USA and have a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology that I earned in 2000, at the age of 29. I graduated with a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 on a 4.0 scale. In UK terms, I believe that gives my degree the standing of "ordinary". However, there were extenuating circumstances - I had a (then) undiagnosed autoimmune disease, and because I had no diagnosis I was not being treated and my health was very unstable. Specifically, I have systemic lupus erythematosus. So, I don't have the "good honours degree" (2.1 or 2.2) that all the postgraduate programs want.

However, I have 28.5 graduate credits (semester) completed with a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. I was pursuing a MA degree but left due to back-to-back health issues that required hospitalizations and extended recovery time. But, note that in the USA there are master's programs that are only 30 credits, so I pretty much have the "equivalent" of one of those.

What I would like to know is:

1. What are my chances of being accepted into a British MA/MSc, MRes, or MPhil program on the strength of my 30 graduate credits at 3.4 GPA *if I'm "self-funding" the degree* through US government graduate student loans?

2. What are my chances of being accepted into a British PhD program on the strength of my 30 graduate credits at 3.4 GPA *if I'm "self-funding" the degree* through US government graduate student loans?

3. Would it matter that the graduate courses I have are in a different field/subject than the one I want to pursue now? The point I would be trying to make is that despite my BS degree's GPA, I'm capable of doing graduate level work successfully even while living with and managing a serious disease like lupus.

4. I'm 43 years old and a veteran. Will that help me?

I'm from the USA and I'd "self-fund" by using graduate student loans available from the US federal government. They're available for pretty much every university in the UK. The only restriction is that they can't be used for distance/online learning from a foreign university.

Is it easier to get accepted into research masters or PhD programs if you bring your own funding? I've read through this forum and done Internet searches on self-funding, but haven't seen this specific question answered, yet. I ask about easier admissions out of curiosity. I'd self-fund out of necessity, as I have an autoimmune disease that can be debilitating. So, it'd be in my best interest to focus on one thing at a time - in this case, my studies. Thanks in advance for replying!