thinking aobut doing midwifery

rjh090384

hiya

i am contemplating going to uni (in 2007 to do degree in midwifery (i live in northern ireland) i understand there is a bursary of around 5000 but i dont know if this is means tested or not. i also am not sure whether i would be entitled to a student loan too. i have just bought a house with my boyfriend and have to pay £540 a month mortgage so i need to make sure i can afford this (he earns 14500). would i be entitled to any benefits?

i also am desperate for a baby (i dont want much) and dont want to have one in the middle of my degree and three or four years is a long time to wait (im 22 and very ready ) so am thinking of starting to try now and having her before i start uni. would this then mean i am entitled to extra help (childcare etc)

please advise...so much to think about.

Jay-Jay_4

The midwifery degrees include regular placements on wards and clinics which would mean doing shifts as well as your lectures and assignments. Would you have flexible childcare in place for when you're working nights, lates and earlies?

Sorry, not meaning to put a downer on things but the midwifery degree is particularly demanding and places are very limited. The dropout rate is pretty high, especially for students with young families.

rjh090384

the flexible childcare wouldnt be an issue. just wondered if i could get help money wise with the daytime stuff.
ur not putting a downer on things( dont worry) i moved to england a few years ago and studied nursing for 3 months but had to drop out due to severe illness. i know how demanding that was and i expect midwifery to be the same. i wont be dropping out again, health is good and i could manage with a young un, other half and family are relaly supportive

Jay-Jay_4

Groovy!

I'm pretty sure that as of a couple of years ago you qualify for tax credits which have a childcare element..... :undecided:

Have you tried putting some numbers into www.entitledto.co.uk?

CIS

You cant get help with WTC childcare as a student nurse is not classed as being in employment, I dont think you can get aroudn it by a partner claiming as you both need to be in paid work (or 1 of you disabled).

R(FIS)1/83 and R(FIS)1/86

The work that students (including postgraduate students) do in studying for a degree or other qualification is not qualifying remunerative work. Any grant or loan that they receive is a contribution to their maintenance and is not paid in return for work done on the course.

Student nurses, like other students, are not considered to be in qualifying remunerative work even though their studies may involve practical experience on the wards. The NHS Bursary and other grants or loans they receive are not payments for work done on the course (and, by extension, do not count as income for tax credit purposes).

Jay-Jay_4

That may be for student nurses but for Midwifery I'm sure there was something brought in a year or two ago.... :think:

studentnurse

See this link : http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Information%20Sheet%209.doc
and you may find the following internet forums usefull : http://com2.runboard.com/bstudentnurse
http://studentmidwives.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php
I'm not an expert on such matters but do not think that you will qualify for WTC (in my experience) but may be able to apply for childcare costs from the grants unit. Karen x

pookie5488

Hi there I am a student nurse at Queens in Belfast any rules for funding which seem to apply to England do not apply over here!!! The bursary is the same as the bursary for nursing, it is non means tested and everyone gets it, you are not eligible for a student loan. However, if you have kids you can apply for the student support fund (no-one tells you this) infact they tell you if you get a bursary you are in eligible to apply. I applied and reveived £500 so don't be put off. For the first year of your course you are taught the common foundation programme along with the student nurses, do seven weeks in uni and seven on placement (37.5 hrs) for first year. Hope this helps if you need any more info I will help if I can.

clairec79

I'm in my second year of my midwifery degree so maybe I can help

It does depend on where you study and I'm not 100% sure of how it works in Northern Ireland - in England the degree bursary is means tested, but you can apply for a student loan of £2,500. (The diploma is non means tested), in Wales (where I am) there is no diploma and the degree is non means tested, but you can't have any student loan (you may get stuff from the hardship fund)

If you have a child you can get help with childcare through your bursary.

Some places have you work with the nurses in the first year, others don't, we had some main A & P lectures with the nurses, but generally were on our own and now we are completely - it is similar to the nursing degree -however where I am we seem to be in slightly more than the student nurses and we have 2 weeks less holidays.

It is tough doing it with a young child (my youngest was 15 months when I started) but it is possible, but you will feel like the worst mother in the world at times when your child hasn't seen you for over 24 hours (lates by the time you come home kids in bed asleep and you leave for an early before they wake) The bursary is more if you have children - but they will take your partners income into account for that (even if your part of the bursary is non means tested)

For tax credits your bursary doesn't count as income so it's based just on his wages, so you may get more child tax credits if you do have a baby first. Plus 25% discount on council tax.

Midwifery however is very hard to get into, 30 applicants or more for every place (it's actually more competitive than medical school in terms of places) btu if it's what you really want todo then go for it - I'm loving it.

j-baby-scotland

I wish anyone with an inkling of doing 'midwifery' were more than supported out there...!

Good luck to u.. & hopefully u'll be a great midwife.

themaccas

If you do a Midwifery degree course you will have to apply for a means tested bursary. If you do the Midwifery Diploma course you will get a non-means tested bursary of around £5-6K a year but you will not be able to apply for a student loan. There is no difference in your end qualification really whichever route you take, you will still be a registered midwife at the end of the course, The money and job will still be the same.