Mature student not eligible for Tuition Fee Loan

LolStevo · 16 September 2014 at 3:36PM

Just looking for some advice!

I am 27, 28 next month and currently working full time whilst having 3 children aged 1,2 and 3.

I work for a construction company and want to better myself so applied for a place on a QS degree part time. The same course another employee has been put through and paid for and just completed however at the moment due to office politics they are not looking to put me through the course until I can prove I want to do it therefore saying I need to pay for it myself for a year or 2.

The only problem is I have been to uni before for 2 years and dropped out both times (severely regret) therefore I don't qualify for a tuition fee loan.

The cost of the course for year 1 is £5400, obviously I don't have that kind of money so have been looking at funding/grants available.

Anyway I have trawled the internet for days and cant find anything concrete or specific, it seems all grants are only if SLC pay your tuition fees and the uni are saying look online.

Any ideas where I can go from here? xx

Voyager2002 · 16 September 2014 at 5:15PM

Unlikely that any funding is available... Look for any kind of study that is affordable and vaguely relevant to your career, so that you can complete it in order to demonstrate to your employer that you can cope with study at this level while working and caring for children.

LolStevo · 16 September 2014 at 7:51PM

Thank you! I have decided to start off with a HNC, it's a third of the price and affordable at the moment but can also go towards a degree!

gayleygoo · 17 September 2014 at 10:40AM

It's maybe a bit late to consider this now if you have enrolled on your HNC, but the Open University could be an option. Depending on where you live in the UK, you could be entitled to have some of your fees paid, especially if you have children and a low income. It's also easy to squeeze in around jobs and child-raising! In N.Ireland the modules are around £775, so the equivalent of £1500 per year of full-time study. I think the fees are higher in England though.

Good luck with whatever path you choose

maggiecon · 17 September 2014 at 12:50PM

What part of the country do you live in?

I ask because here in NI the CITB offers grants of up to £1300 per year per employee working in the construction industry. A lot of my colleagues are doing degrees/masters etc under the scheme. It just needs to be relevant to the construction industry which your course is.

If you are not in NI there might be something similar available to you.

maggiecon · 17 September 2014 at 12:56PM

Here is the link, I thought it was only NI, but looks like it might be all of the UK

http://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grant/claiming-grants-available/

Hope this helps

LolStevo · 19 September 2014 at 8:14AM

Thank u! Yeah citb works here as my company went down that route with another employee but they are not willing to put me through it even though they gain from it financially! It's ridiculous!

I looked at OU but that too is £6700 a year!

Annie_Elisabeth · 22 October 2014 at 12:24PM

I think you may need to consider and discuss with your comapny why they aren't willing to afford you the same kind of opportunities as your co-workers ?, or perhaps approach them again following completion of your HNC ?

Mature student not eligible for Tuition Fee Loan

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