can't afford place at oxford

clairestelle

Thanks for the positive thoughts Seraphina. When I went for the Oxford interview and said that I wanted to teach they were very positive about it and said I might be able to go straight on to phd after degree and start tutoring and lecturing while doing it. I'm determined not to give up on my dream. Somehow I will find a way to fund it. I think I was blessed to be given the place and think I was given it for a reason.

black-saturn

Could you apply for housing benefit while your there and then get some kind of part time job to cover your living expenses?

seraphina

clairestelle wrote:

Thanks for the positive thoughts Seraphina. When I went for the Oxford interview and said that I wanted to teach they were very positive about it and said I might be able to go straight on to phd after degree and start tutoring and lecturing while doing it. I'm determined not to give up on my dream. Somehow I will find a way to fund it. I think I was blessed to be given the place and think I was given it for a reason.

I'm a PhD student and I do some teaching for a few hours a week (I'm in science so I used to do three hours a week demonstrating or tutorials - I'm in my final year so I've given it up to concentrate on writing up). It's nice because you get paid extra (usually quite well - I get £15/hour) which tops up the stipend nicely!

Perversly (sp?) it does get easier once you're a PhD student - at this level grants are usually tied to the position, so if they offer you a place there's usually cash to go with it. And full time PhD stipends are tax free :j You can also tutor privately - this is especially popular at Eastertime for A level and GCSE revision - as a graduate you can charge anything upwards of £30/hour.

You can also get teaching assistanceships where you get extra time to complete your postgraduate degree in exchange for a set number of teaching hours a week - definitely worth looking into these.

Really go for it - if there is one thing money (or lack of it!) shouldn't be allowed to stop you from doing, this is it. You can find a way to do it!

DrFluffy

clairestelle wrote:

Hi,

I suffered really badly from anorexia for ten years after going to university and managed to fight my way back to health after realising that I want to be an English teacher. Because my first degree is in History I have to do an English degree and I applied to Oxford and got a place not realising that I wasn't eligible for student loans and government help etc as I had already received that the first time round. I can't bear the thought of not being able to take up my place at Oxford - it is the one thing that me excited about life again but I haven't a clue how I am going to be able to fund it. I have no savings or credit rating as I haven't worked for such a long time. Has anyone got any advice? Thank you.

Try not to get too stressed...

I'm in the 2nd year of my second undergraduate degree (with a doctorate in between!). There are lots of avenues you can try for help. There's charities, the Access To Leaning Fund, and each Oxford College usually has it's own funds and bursaries for students. Have you contacted the College to discuss this? Which College do you hold an offer at (I did my doctorate at Oxford).

My advice to you would be
a) try your college
b) fill out an Access to Learning Fund application as soon as you arrive
c) go to the library and pour ouver hte Grants directory
d) as soon as you get to Oxford, go to the Careers service on Banbury Road and log on to a computer programme called 'Funderfinder'. You put in info about yourself - age, backgound, where you've lived, worked, been educated etc and if gives you a report full of charities etc you can try.

good luck!

DrFluffy

melbury wrote:

Don't understand this, why should doing a degree at Oxford be more expensive than any other university? Surely the costs are all pretty similar aren't they?

No - at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the university fee, there's also a heafty College fee. AS a graudate who has recieved public purse help for a first degree, you are only entitled to take a student loan, you do not get any fees help at all.

Gem_

I didnt realise you wanted to be a university lecturer not a teacher - I cant figure out why you want to do a second degree ... what use is it going to be? Why not just go and do a MA in English and work from there?

I have an BA in politics and an MSc in Geology so I am well aware that it is easy to move across disiplines. (although not to learn to spell).

Surely it is better to do it in one year and then move on to a phd than spend three years doing another undergrad?

On the funding front, I would think you have a much better chance of funding a masters than a second undergrad

Good Luck though and well done for getting back in the game

HTH

G

clairestelle

I want to do another degree because I love the subject and want to learn as much as I can about it. And I have been out of the world, in a manner of speaking, for such a long time that I want the full university experience, live a bit of life, etc. etc. I know it must sound stupid when I don't really know how I am going to fund it but somehow I will find a way to manage it.