Please help: Postgraduate MA Dilemma

Debt_Robot

Hi,

I would like to appeal to anyone about any advice on a dilemma I am having.

Background: I graduated from university this June with a BA in Politics & French from Bristol University. I have always wanted to work in media and I applied for a place at a journalism Masters course in London and I was accepted.

The problem: The MA is £12,100 for tuition fees. I had been working all summer, 2 jobs, so I could start a saving plan and so I could work on paying off my debt. I spoke to my mum this summer and she said that she would pay for my tuition fees but that she wanted me to pay for my accomodation in London. I told her that I was more than willing to work to pay but seeing that this MA was very intense, I would have to get a part-time job. My mum was against me working during the MA, saying it would conflict with my studies.

So anyway, I have been in touch with mum (she does not live in the UK) recently and she told me that she can't pay for my accomodation. I do think accomodation would be around £5,000 upwards for 10 months if I was living in private accomodation. That is already £17,000 needed for 10 months alone. And that is a frugal estimate.

My problem now is I am struggling to see the merit of even doing this journalism MA. Are postgraduate media qualifications worth it? Will they help me get a job? Or will my mum be shelling out almost £20,000 for nothing?

I am an international student but I have been here since I was 11 years old. All the time I have worked here doing part-time work with the Home Office's permission, I have paid PAYE taxes and NI like everyone else.

I just feel so confused as to if I should do this MA. My mum can afford the tuition fees but not the accomodation.

I won't get a student loan....am feeling very lost and confused, especially as the course starts in less than 3 weeks..

Please help

rainbow_carnage

Why are you paying overseas tuition fees? If you've lived in the UK since you were 11, you should qualify as a home student. I paid overseas fees for my BSc but home student fees for my MSc.

I can't tell you whether or not you need a masters degree. It is getting harder and harder to find a good job with just an undergraduate. It seems like everyone has at least a BA. But I'm not certain than an MA would even help.

Also, are you sure that the degree is as intense as you think? Mine was a social science degree from a very good uni, and I worked full-time while studying and had an internship. I doubt that journalism would be any more intense.

What kind of job are you planning on getting? Try to make the most of your working hours by finding work that pays at least 10 quid an hour. It shouldn't be a problem in London.

There probably are loans you can get, but I would avoid them. They are not a good deal, and journalism doesn't pay that well. You'll be in debt for years.

You could do the degree part-time and work full-time, but it just stretches it out.

Have you tried looking for journalism work since you've finished your undergraduate?

melancholly

even with a lot of masters courses, part time work is possible - maybe not too many hours and you'll have to sacrifice a social life, but some income is doable, especially in the first semester before there are many deadlines.

can you put this on hold for a year? i had to do that - worked and saved up (although admittedly i 'only' paid home fees). for a career in the media the most important thing will be experience rather than a course, so maybe in a year out you could get some relevant placements to get ahead with your CV?

i definitely agree with the post above about checking your status as an overseas student - from what you have said you should have home status.

Voyager2002

Personally, I am very doubtful about the value of the course you are considering. I understand that most established journalists succeeded on the basis of practical experience rather than training courses, so do check this. Talk to some potential employers, and maybe write an article about what you find for a student or graduate magazine (if you manage to do this, it would help build your portfolio and enable you to get a job: if you can't research and write a story like this, then forget about journalism).

Annando

I have a friend who was refunded part of his fees because they had charged him as an overseas student when he had been living here for more than 5 years. It is worth chasing up and looking into it, you might get a refund if you were wrongly charged.
Did you originally submit paperwork to the Student Finance Company? Or to your local LEA? I know here in Portsmouth they are somehow connected to the council, but it differs depending on where you live.

pinkshoes

Even as a not-overseas student, the MA tuition fees are still steep! My mate's boyfriend worked for a year to save the money to study, and THEN did the MA, but he also worked a part time job throughout the MA to help pay for additional things, and also took the loan.

Unfortunately, although he got great personal satisfaction from the MA, it did not help his career, and he's in the same position he was before the MA, but with more debt!

Personally I'd be asking the course what sort of success rate their previous students have had career wise, and what sort of careers they went into.

Voyager2002

This issue about home/overseas tuition fees: as I understand the regulations, in order to pay 'home' fees you must satisfy two conditions;
1. you must have lived in Europe for three years, and
2. you must have "indefinite leave to remain" in the UK, or similar immigration status in another EU country.

So someone like the OP, who has been in the UK as an international student for many years, may still not satisfy the second condition and so may still have to pay the rip-off "international" fees.

Oldernotwiser

Voyager2002 wrote: »

This issue about home/overseas tuition fees: as I understand the regulations, in order to pay 'home' fees you must satisfy two conditions;
1. you must have lived in Europe for three years, and
2. you must have "indefinite leave to remain" in the UK, or similar immigration status in another EU country.

So someone like the OP, who has been in the UK as an international student for many years, may still not satisfy the second condition and so may still have to pay the rip-off "international" fees.

You also can't usually count years when you've been in the UK for educational reasons towards assessment as a Home student.

diamonds

12000 ? unless you are getting a job @ £30000+ after graduating - ITS NOT WORTH IT

bitsandpieces

If you're wanting to become a journalist in the UK (as opposed to, for example, doing research in media studies) it's worth thinking about whether an MA is the best way into this. The NUJ's guide might be helpful - http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/getdata.phtml?id=880&its=1 (PDF link)

Whether or not you want to do the course, it's worth thinking about what work experience you have/want to have. e.g. have you worked for student paper, radio etc...where else can you get work experience...etc...

Good luck

Debt_Robot

Thank you all so much for taking the time to write back to me.

My reply is late because I am finally in London, having moved from Bristol on Friday for this MA.

I don't feel like it is worth it either. I tried talking to my mum but she disagrees and now wants me to do it but I will still be in mountains of debt to her as she know wants a loan repayment scheme (with her). I am grateful she funds me but I am just so confused.

I don't qualify as a home student because I do not have indefinite leave to remain which means I pay mounds and mounds.

I am feeling dejected but will have to plough on.

Thank you all Debt Robot xxx