want to study degree p/t but no help with tuition fees? any suggestions?

brians_daughter

Hi guys, i am currently working and really want to do a degree

I need to study p/t as i work and cannot afford not to. by p/t i mean evenings initially, after 18 months work will consider giving me paid leave of 45 days a year study leave etc

Due to our household income £55k i have been told there is no help/loans towards tuition fees.

Now me and oh have our finances completely seperate ie his mortgage/his wages etc and i contribute to all other bills but not his mortgage, so although 55k is an awful lot of money only £18k of it is my income, with 2 kids and debts it isnt as much as it sounds.

We decided to keep finances seperate as its his house and i want it to stay that way lol.

I was considering OU and then i could use their finance to study but have recently had a default registered against me - long story and i am arguing that - after 14 years of credit i have never missed a payment, except this oversight when i moved house! so i cant use their finance

Does anyone know of any options that are open to me in order to persue my dream?? I know if it was f/t i would get the student loan regardless of income, but p/t you are means tested. i simply cant afford to pay the fees its not an option at the moment, and i cant get a loan to cover this due to the default!

thanks

Lokolo

You cannot get a loan what so ever if you are partime, only grants.

Options available -

- Save up and go fulltime, you get loans and grants
- Not go
- Survive on basic needs, on £18k could you not budget well and find some money for partime course

Do you know how much your course costs?

brians_daughter

Lokolo wrote: »

You cannot get a loan what so ever if you are partime, only grants.

Options available -

- Save up and go fulltime, you get loans and grants
- Not go
- Survive on basic needs, on £18k could you not budget well and find some money for partime course

Do you know how much your course costs?

i cant save up and go full time - i need to support my children. i would need a to be earning a minimum of 800pcm (outgoings are below, if i was f/t i could cut out the fuel to/from work and some of the childcare, and some of the non-essential contracts expire in november)

not going - yeah thats seeming the only option - but just exploring all options as i am trying to better myself i was looking for suggestions of anyone whos been in a simular situ

18k sounds a lot - in effect its not - £1100 pcm, i have £250 childcare, £450 household bills not including food, £200 travel to and from work. so thats 900 before i have paid for shopping and 'non essentials' such as mobile phone, gym etc - which i am still in contract for. i have done a SOA on the debt free board and i have cut everything to a bare minimum.

The course is going to be around £1500-£1700 pa depending where i study. i would also need to take into account study materials and travel to and from the education facility.

If i could go f/t i would and hope to get a job that would fit around the hours, but doesnt seem possible at the minute using this years timetable

Thanks for replying

bestpud

Your OH earns £37k and YOU need to support your children??

Is this a joke?

Many families survive on £18k alone!!

£55k is a lot of money, no matter which way you look at it.

Sorry, but student finance will count his income, even if you don't.

What a bizarre thread!

Oh, your outgoings border on the ridiculous - £450 pcm for bills, not including food or mortgage!? I should have a look around the boards and get that sorted asap.

Lokolo

Oh good it isn't just me!

welshmoneylover

Is this a wind up?

poet123

Sounds to me as if the OP is living with someone other than her childrens father,and wishes to keep her finances seperate from his.

However,imo the bills should be communal,even if he is paying the mortgage. With regard to the bills being excessive,our gas/elec is £200pcm and is lower than most of my friends(we were discussing it recently).

bestpud

poet123 wrote: »

Sounds to me as if the OP is living with someone other than her childrens father,and wishes to keep her finances seperate from his.

However,imo the bills should be communal,even if he is paying the mortgage. With regard to the bills being excessive,our gas/elec is £200pcm and is lower than most of my friends(we were discussing it recently).

£200 a month!! Wow, what are you doing in your house, poet??? :eek::eek::eek:

The OP's £450 is only a share of the bills though, and I'd hope he pays more than half, as he earns twice as much! I know he pays the mortgage but it sounds as though he is keeping the house all to himself, so that is only right.

I can't understand why new partners aren't expected to share the child costs. It should be part and parcel of moving in with a single parent imo. But, it is just my opinion...

poet123

bestpud wrote: »

£200 a month!! Wow, what are you doing in your house, poet??? :eek::eek::eek:

The OP's £450 is only a share of the bills though, and I'd hope he pays more than half, as he earns twice as much! I know he pays the mortgage but it sounds as though he is keeping the house all to himself, so that is only right.

I can't understand why new partners aren't expected to share the child costs. It should be part and parcel of moving in with a single parent imo. But, it is just my opinion...

Biggish house,lots of kids and we like to be warm. Friend up the road in a slightly bigger house same number of kids pays £400pcm:eek:

I agree new partners should pay for the family unit,but I get the impression OP doesnt want to integrate their finances. Maybe a relatively new relationship?

bestpud

poet123 wrote: »

Biggish house,lots of kids and we like to be warm. Friend up the road in a slightly bigger house same number of kids pays £400pcm:eek:

I agree new partners should pay for the family unit,but I get the impression OP doesnt want to integrate their finances. Maybe a relatively new relationship?

Lol, after watching a 'fly on the wall' documentary about the police the other night, I was starting to wonder if you were growing something you shouldn't be! :rotfl:

£400 is an astounding amount to pay for gas and electric! Have they not discovered the delights of mse yet?

bestpud

I think this is a complete wind up. Why didn't you get educated at the age of 16 - 18 before you even thought about having kids or is it something that you have only thought of now?

As the system is, whether you are living together or are married both sets of salary will be taken into account. You both have plenty of money per annum to allow a little bit of skimping and saving if it is something you feel you REALLY need to do. You have decided to better yourself in later life therefore I do not really think that you can get any help at all. I started a career change at 30 years old but I got no help whatsoever.

I think that you both have to sit down and decide what is best for both of you and your children and if needs must, and it is important enough to you well consider downsizing (bit hard I know in this present climate) or consider saving up for the next 2 to 3 years so that you have some savings behind you. The only way that I can think that you might get help is if you were unemployed or in extreme hardship financially, the rest of us have ended up doing a couple of jobs to keep going.[/quote]

I agree with the rest of your post, but lots of us leave education until later, and for a variety of reasons, so there is nothing abnormal in her wanting to study.

It's just her idea of 'hard up' that is a tad out of touch!