OU Funding, but not the norm!

Loulou1506

Hi, I hope I am posting this in the right place?! Apologies if not!

I am currently studying at the University of Wales, Swansea and I am two years through my degree. However I have decided that I want to do Veterinary Medicine in Melbourne University when my partner and I hopefully move out there in 2011. Unfortunately, my degree is a BA in Egyptology and Ancient history, so very unrelated to Veterinary medicine. I need a BSc in biological science or similiar to be considered, however I would like to complete this before I move to Australia. I want to finish my current degree as I feel it would be a waste so ideally for the BSc I need to do a distance learning course with the duration of a maximum of 2 years! The only one I have found is the Open University, a 2-3 years(hopefully 2) course, however its an additional £4000, so before committing I really need to know if it is possible to get funding from anywhere, especially as I am already doing a degree which I have loans for?? Its all very confusing and I hope someone can help me?!

Thank you

Louise

GemJar_2

I'm not too sure if this will apply to you but I'm studying LLB law at OU, they government pays part of the funding towards the degree and then OU pay the rest of it as long as you are on less than £15 000 a year but I'm not too sure on how it work with regards to the fact that you are currently studying. I think your best bet would be to give them a ring they are actually really really helpful.

Oldernotwiser

Loulou1506 wrote: »

Hi, I hope I am posting this in the right place?! Apologies if not!

I am currently studying at the University of Wales, Swansea and I am two years through my degree. However I have decided that I want to do Veterinary Medicine in Melbourne University when my partner and I hopefully move out there in 2011. Unfortunately, my degree is a BA in Egyptology and Ancient history, so very unrelated to Veterinary medicine. I need a BSc in biological science or similiar to be considered, however I would like to complete this before I move to Australia. I want to finish my current degree as I feel it would be a waste so ideally for the BSc I need to do a distance learning course with the duration of a maximum of 2 years! The only one I have found is the Open University, a 2-3 years(hopefully 2) course, however its an additional £4000, so before committing I really need to know if it is possible to get funding from anywhere, especially as I am already doing a degree which I have loans for?? Its all very confusing and I hope someone can help me?!

Thank you

Louise

Sorry, I'm confused about your dates. If you're moving to Australia in 2011, how do you have 2 years left?

Are you really saying that you plan on carrying on with your current degree at the same time as you do an OU Science degree (in 1 year??!!)and you think you'll get funding for this?

I'm sure I must have misunderstood something!

Loulou1506

Believe me I'm confused too! I intend on finishing my degree because I have already done two years now so to not finish would be a waste. My partner and I are looking to move to Australia around December 2011, after graduating in July 2011. So really when I say move to Australia in 2011 its borderline 2012. I can start the OU May 2010 so should be able to finish it May 2012( roughly of course) then hopefully take up a Veterinary degree in July 2012 at Melbourne(provided I get a good enough grade). Finishing in May 2012 will mean finishing my degree abroad, something as far as I am aware the OU allows?!This is all subject to change depending on finances and applications of course! Yes I intend to do my third year of University as well as an OU degree, as hard and as stupid as that may sound.

I am only in the planning stages at the moment, so still looking around to see what I can and can not do, hence the thread I posted on here!
It may mean starting the degree after I finish this one, which if I have to do that then I will.

If you have any information on financing 2 degrees(if even possible) then please let me know!

Thank you for responses so far.:o

Oldernotwiser

Loulou1506 wrote: »

Believe me I'm confused too! I intend on finishing my degree because I have already done two years now so to not finish would be a waste. My partner and I are looking to move to Australia around December 2011, after graduating in July 2011. So really when I say move to Australia in 2011 its borderline 2012. I can start the OU May 2010 so should be able to finish it May 2012( roughly of course) then hopefully take up a Veterinary degree in July 2012 at Melbourne(provided I get a good enough grade). Finishing in May 2012 will mean finishing my degree abroad, something as far as I am aware the OU allows?!This is all subject to change depending on finances and applications of course! Yes I intend to do my third year of University as well as an OU degree, as hard and as stupid as that may sound.

I am only in the planning stages at the moment, so still looking around to see what I can and can not do, hence the thread I posted on here!
It may mean starting the degree after I finish this one, which if I have to do that then I will.

If you have any information on financing 2 degrees(if even possible) then please let me know!

Thank you for responses so far.:o

You cannot study with the OU if you don't live in the UK, so you would only have May 2010 to October 2011 to do this.

Best case scenario is that you get 240 points from your current degree but you won't be able to get a named degree (Science) from only 120 points, which is, I imagine what is required for the Veterinary course. In addition you are unlikely to have the skills to cope with year 3 science units with your academic background, even if you've done sciences at A level (which seems unlikely given your current degree). Also, most of the OU level 3 courses will have lower level courses as an entry requirement.

I don't know what the funding situation for this year would be but you would certainly get no funding if you were already a graduate. http://css2.open.ac.uk/fafcalculator/degree.aspx

I would think that only the OU itself would be able to tell you this, as it's obviously an unusual situation.

I am normally one of the world's most positive people but I have to say that your plans seem totally unfeasible to me; I haven't even touched on the difficulties of studying the third year of a History degree simultaneously with the third year of a Science degree!

Why don't you speak to one of the OU's own Careers Advisers and get their opinion as well.

[Deleted User]

Many of the OU courses are available for study in other countries, so you do not have to live in the UK.

I had a friend who started her course in the UK and finished it in Argentina - so it seems that this is a possible option.

Your best bet for finding out about funding and studying in other countries, or duel funding is to contact the OU directly and ask (I'm afraid I don't know where else you might get this information from).

GemJar_2

Loulou1506 wrote: »

Finishing in May 2012 will mean finishing my degree abroad, something as far as I am aware the OU allows?

Yes, they do allow this as far as I know.

mum2one

When you apply for financial funding it asks about whether you have student loans or recieving financial support for studying elsewhere, but your best bet would be to ring them.

Good luck with it all x

Oldernotwiser

Sorry, I shouldn't have said that you can't study with the OU abroad. You can, but the fees are so high in this situation that it' snot viable for most people. For example, a level 2 science course costing 650.00 would cost 1560.00.

Loulou1506

Thanks for all responses. I posted here before really getting to grips with how the OU works etc, just to get an idea of what people on here thought. Having received a response from them, it seems now the degree would take 3 years anyway so i am going in a different direction, diplomas, then a top up degree with Warwickshire Uni. (Hopefully) Its both cheaper and time wise its going to work alot better, have to leave it an extra year before the big move to Oz, but its going to be eventually worth it.

Oh and Olderbutnotwiser i do have good science grades anyway, as well as history, and a double degree didnt seem such a hard ask anyway, i have very few lectures and as most of next year is dissertation orientated it seemed to be a possible idea. Doesn't matter now anyway as i wouldn't get finance and i don't want to be undertaking another 3 year degree, especially as the Melbourne University doctor of veterinary medicine is another 4 years! Scary really!

Thank you to all responses. Best wishes to everyone!