Funding for 'second degree' students - can I afford it?

Zziggi

I can heartily recommend following a psychology degree with the OU. I have done this and would recommend it to others. If you have any specific queries about the courses you need to take to do this with the OU, then PM me.

Crispy_Ambulance

I can recommend the OU Psychology conversion course - I'm doing it at the moment. It is hard work, but the materials and the support are very good.

Chai_2

Hi,

I am in my last year of psychology and as has been said, the most cost effective thing to do is the graduate conversion course. At my uni it lasts for 1 and a half years.The good thing about this course is that most if not all of the modules at my uni can be done in the evening and even if they dont advertise it, most unis will do evening only programmes.

The OU is good but when i wanted to study with them, they wanted to restrict the amount of modules i would do according to the amount of hours you work.

Have a look at a rough timetable (obviously it depends on the uni you attend) http://www.uel.ac.uk/psychology/programmes/undergraduate/docs/conversion.pdf

It can be done.

Good Luck x

DrFluffy

Did you pay your own fees for your first degree? Is so, you should be able to get a loan for a second degree. If you did, you will not be successful.

What's your first degree in? Could you not do a psych masters?

Fluffy (2nd degree-er)

DrFluffy

sarzzz wrote: »

When at uni, I was suffering from mental illness, and as a result I now want to help others by eventually studying clinical psychology,

I'm not expecting you to tell all, but consider the nature of your illness - there are a lot of mental illnesses that having a personal histroy of would stop you from becoming or make it v difficult to become a clinical psychologist...

sarzzz_2

Dr Fluffy - I understand what you mean, but I don't think that it will be a problem, I had some anxiety issues, but nothing severe or that would make me a danger to myself or others. I am sure plenty of people go through similar periods in their life, and from what I have heard it is sometimes seen as a positive thing in terms of working in mental health if you have some kind of experience of mental illness.

Also, I did pay my own fees, but they were very low when I started in 2000 (around £1000 a year I think) so whether that will affect things I don't know?

sarzzz_2

Chai - Unfortunately, none of the unis near me do the conversion course... but thanks for the encouragement.

littlemidwife

I have a similar query and the student finance people just said 'no idea' when I asked them! I am a midwife with an Advanced Diploma and got an NHS bursary for my 3 year course. I am currently doing my 'top up' to BMedSci (hons) and will shortly be handing in my dissertation. Now I want to retrain to be an optometrist but the fees are putting me off. As I've never had a student loan or financial help from anyone but the NHS would I be eligible for help for this? Should I hand in my dissertation if this would affect my chances for funding?
Anna

Tigersilly

From a poster on TSR: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=682392

Trainee clinical psychologists are classified as NHS employees and have to go through occupational health before starting their training.

I have just had to have a full interview before starting my new job (newly qualified clinical psychologist) and they asked me a range of physical and mental health questions. As I understand it, if they identify risks they can make appropriate recommendations if they think yourself or others could be at risk.

That said this should not put anyone off applying for courses/ or from seeking help. I know of several trainees with long standing mental health issues that have completed their training just fine. The main thing was that their menal health problems had been resolved or were under control.

leyla-aurelia

littlemidwife wrote: »

I have a similar query and the student finance people just said 'no idea' when I asked them! I am a midwife with an Advanced Diploma and got an NHS bursary for my 3 year course. I am currently doing my 'top up' to BMedSci (hons) and will shortly be handing in my dissertation. Now I want to retrain to be an optometrist but the fees are putting me off. As I've never had a student loan or financial help from anyone but the NHS would I be eligible for help for this? Should I hand in my dissertation if this would affect my chances for funding?
Anna

I don't know if it helps but a number of the students on my NHS funded degree already had 1st degrees, and it made no difference to their elegibility for the course and NHS funding. Apparently NHS funding is completley un-connected to LA funding. Therefore I don't see why the opposite wouldn't be true, unless you're excluded under the 'same or higher level rule'? In which case handing in your dissertation might be an issue. What a shame if that's the case though!

L xx