PhD support group?

melancholly

talksalot81 wrote:

So as long as you can hammer out a few more results, the write up should fly in!

lol here's hoping - i guess i'm feeling like i'm drowning in my work at the moment so don't have quite the same optimism!

talksalot81

I was the same (in case you wonder, I have just submitted). This time last year I had data to complete only the shortest of my three experimental chapters. The major chapter didnt actually take form until I managed to get results last feb/march and the final chapter results were obtained last April...

So keep your spirits up and you never know!

humphboy

Hey, I realise that this is a bit off-topic, but there's lots of PhD students reading this... I'm a PhD student trying to get a mortgage in Scotland to buy a place, however, despite earning a reasonable amount, and having decent savings, I'm having problems trying to find a lender to give me a mortgage at rates other than those for people with CCJs etc.

Lots of lenders don't seem to understand the concept of being a 'paid' student

Anyone got any tips/success stories? Or should I give up and rent?

Cheers in advance.

pboae

humphboy wrote:

Hey, I realise that this is a bit off-topic, but there's lots of PhD students reading this... I'm a PhD student trying to get a mortgage in Scotland to buy a place, however, despite earning a reasonable amount, and having decent savings, I'm having problems trying to find a lender to give me a mortgage at rates other than those for people with CCJs etc.

Lots of lenders don't seem to understand the concept of being a 'paid' student

Anyone got any tips/success stories? Or should I give up and rent?

Cheers in advance.

We had to get OH's Dad to act as a guarantor, couldn't find a lender who would accept our 'wages'. :-(

Heth_2

humphboy wrote:

Hey, I realise that this is a bit off-topic, but there's lots of PhD students reading this... I'm a PhD student trying to get a mortgage in Scotland to buy a place, however, despite earning a reasonable amount, and having decent savings, I'm having problems trying to find a lender to give me a mortgage at rates other than those for people with CCJs etc.

Lots of lenders don't seem to understand the concept of being a 'paid' student

Anyone got any tips/success stories? Or should I give up and rent?

Cheers in advance.

We got our mortgage with Abbey. but my husband by then had started his full time job so we had one normal income and a 25% deposit which helped persuade them. We tried Skipton as we were told they would go on affordability, and they wouldn't lend us enough, Halifax wouldn't give take my phd income into account at all, Nationwide were a bit iffy too. Even Abbey didn't really get the concept of a paid student, I had to take my nerc manual in to prove that the money I get paid is specifically for maintenence, not fees. Good luck!

hostie

I am currently also trying to get a mortgage. I have a part time job and so was originally going to base my mortgage on that. I applied to the Co-operative bank. I then got research council funding and decided to ask if I could get some extra money due to that. I sent the letter from the research council to them (the one that states how much you are going to get for the year with the breakdown). They seemed to wait to see if the money went in. When it did I got a letter back offering me the mortgage. They had stamped the research council letter so I think they must accept it.

Anyway just wanted to point this out. What I am trying to say is : maybe you should try the Co-operative bank.

humphboy

Thanks for all your advice,

I'm off to try a broker tomorrow, and then I'll give the co-op a call, as that sounds pretty promising. I'll stay away from the Halifax ! I know that your applications are recorded on your credit record, so I don't want to apply to too many lenders with a hit and miss approach. Otherwise it's back to dodgy landlords :-)

Cheers.

julynne

:hello:

Another ex-PhD student here so I can empathise with some of you...

I graduated back in 2003 with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from UMIST in Manchester.

My advice is, just keep at it no matter how :wall: it is, and in the end you will see that it's all worthwhile and wasn't so bad after all!

All the best,
Dr julynne :wave:
p/s: Sorry humphboy, can't help with the mortgage query as I bought my house with my hubby after we'd graduated...but Heth, pboae and hostie appear to be of valuable help anyway!

louiscrusoe

I guess I'd agree with some other posters that there isn't enough distinction made between undergraduate and graduate students. I would REALLY appreciate an article focussed on the latter.

The problem I have, as do many others on my course is that we used a Career Development Loan for our masters, and are now into a Research Council / Scholarship funded 3 year PhD. This means we can never pay off the CDL as we never actually receive money we just get fees waived etc and can't take a loan out with better interest rates as we don't really have any income. This means that we all pay a nice £150 ish each month to fund our CDL interest. It's deadly and I see no way out.

Martin please rescue us poor grads.

Louis

talksalot81

The financial situation for post graduate students simply has to change eventually. Now that everyone does an undergraduate degree, more and more people are forced into post graduate to obtain necessary skills. We are no longer talking about a handful of individuals, it is many many thousands.

Personally I think that the government should be providing more help. They go on about skilled and intelligent people, so they should put money where their mouths are and have more financial support available on the basis of previous achievement (it is a waste of time if they go all pansy and make it open to everyone!).