Funding for a masters degree

AlisonHarrison

My son will be going into his final year next year of a three year degree. I am a single parent on benefits and he qualifies for a full grant and he lives away from home.
He is considering doing a masters degree after he has finished his third year and will probably do that year whilst living at home.
Will he qualify for any funding for the fourth year, and are there any disadvantages of doing a masters at a different University to your original University.

sugarplumfairy83

Hi Alison,

Funding for Postgraduate degrees differs greatly from Undergraduate - if you see my 'Postgraduate Funding' thread you'll see some of what I'm trying to work out at the moment!

Firstly, it's important to understand a postgrad will not count as a 'fourth' year and funding will not be available from SLC; it's all very separate and handled differently. Can I ask what postgrad your son is considering?

Generally speaking there should be opportunities for him to apply for funding from a specific research facility relating to his course (for example, I applied to the Arts & Humanities Research Council as I'm looking to do a Museum and Art Gallery Studies MA), and bursaries from the School/Department his course falls under within the University.

There are a vast number of studentships and small bursaries from independent charities/trusts/public funding bodies - sifting through those available can take some time but it's definitely worth doing; even if you can only pick up £500 here and there it will all add up.

Another option is a Professional Career Development Loan - these are currently available from Barclays and the Co-Operative bank. Your son should be able to apply for up to 80% of the course fees (100% if he's been out of work for the last 3 months or more) and can apply for up to £10,000 to cover funding and living expenses. Other banks also offer funding for specific courses (eg. Natwest offer funding for Business and Law students specifically, others will provide help for NHS etc ... none cover mine though!)

I hope that's all quite clear. Oh and in addition, I'm not sure what impact your financial status has on his funding, or the living at home situation but I'm sure you'll be able to ask someone. It might be an idea to contact the University your son wishes to apply to and ask to speak to Student Services. The only downside to going to a different Postgrad Uni to his Undergrad I can think of is that often, if you continue at the same one and have gained a first, you are far likelier to gain funding.

Here are some links that you may both find useful:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/ChoicesAfterYouGraduate/DG_10012463
http://www.studentcashpoint.com
http://prospects.ac.uk/funding_my_further_study.htm

I would say that although this kind of forward thinking is fantastic from you and your son, you're unlikely to be able to apply for anything until his 3rd year is in progress and awards may change between now and then. All the best though!

The_One_Who

AlisonHarrison wrote: »

My son will be going into his final year next year of a three year degree. I am a single parent on benefits and he qualifies for a full grant and he lives away from home.
He is considering doing a masters degree after he has finished his third year and will probably do that year whilst living at home.
Will he qualify for any funding for the fourth year, and are there any disadvantages of doing a masters at a different University to your original University.

Postgraduate funding is few and far between for most subjects. What course is he wanting to do?

Unless he is planning on doing a PhD, research councils most likely won't fund him. Money is scarce enough as it is. Universities may have bursary schemes, as may individual departments, but again this pot is small and may be reserved for PhD students.

There are of course charities and other small pots of funding, but you need to find these and then apply for them. It can be a time consuming process. The money may not be that great either, usually nowhere near full fees and living costs.

A Career Development Loan is an option, but I would hesitate to recommend that since it is essentially a commercial loan. Unless there is a guarantee of walking straight into a job at the end, I would be wary of them.

As for moving universities, it's really up to him. Some like to move to get a feel for different academic environments, whereas some like to stay in a place where they are already known and where they are already familiar with all the facilities. I don't think it really makes much difference though.

AlisonHarrison

Thanks for these replies folks.
He is doing chemistry btw. He told me this afternoon that someone he knows is doing a masters in chemistry and it is being treated as an extra year. I am sure that he is wrong after reading your replies. But what would make him think this? He said it is treated as doing an extra year and is part of the original course. After reading these replies I questioned whether it was a real masters but he assures me it is.
Has anyone got any idea what he is talking about?

melancholly

Is it an MSci course? If so, that's different to a separate MSc which has a separate application. Some chemistry courses are 4 year from the start and include the masters year as standard. I would expect those courses to include loans and funding as with an 3 year undergrad course, but I don't know.

Go the website of his uni and see what the prospectus for his course says about funding - or get him to ring the SLC and clarify.

melancholly

thought a few websites could help as an MSci isn't common but is something you apply for straight from school so isn't like other masters:

http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/admissions/chemistry.html
http://www.chem.bham.ac.uk/study/ug/degrees/ChemF101.shtml

Vik

If it is an MSci, this is a 4 year course and will just be counted as an extra year with loans etc coming from slc. you dont get a seperate degree if this is the case, although if he is doing this at a separate Uni, I don't see how it can be an MSci.

The_One_Who

AlisonHarrison wrote: »

Thanks for these replies folks.
He is doing chemistry btw. He told me this afternoon that someone he knows is doing a masters in chemistry and it is being treated as an extra year. I am sure that he is wrong after reading your replies. But what would make him think this? He said it is treated as doing an extra year and is part of the original course. After reading these replies I questioned whether it was a real masters but he assures me it is.
Has anyone got any idea what he is talking about?

Chemistry does tend to have more money floating around that some others, so that's one positive. It's not uncommon for people to get fully funded with only a 2.2.

The 'extra year' would be because it is an MSci (an undergraduate masters) rather than a MSc (a postgraduate masters). Undergraduate masters are a bit 'in between' because some people accept them as being similar to postgraduate ones and others do not.

melancholly wrote: »

Is it an MSci course? If so, that's different to a separate MSc which has a separate application. Some chemistry courses are 4 year from the start and include the masters year as standard. I would expect those courses to include loans and funding as with an 3 year undergrad course, but I don't know.

Go the website of his uni and see what the prospectus for his course says about funding - or get him to ring the SLC and clarify.

Yep, an MSci is an undergraduate course, and so does get all the associated funding along with it.

eira

If it's Chemistry there may be funding for a Ph.D -this is commoner than funding for a Masters.There are taught and research Masters' degrees and one used to be worth more than the other-depends on whether it's a conversion/further training course


There used to be funding for various research projects that individual lecturers got.Some students were taken on for research after graduation-basically to do the foot soldiering for research projects

Before doing a Masters I would look at future plans/degree of interest in the subject/ and what the employment market is like.
Also consider very carefully the reputation of the institution where you intend to study the Masters or any postgrad qualification. For some subjects (eg Psychology/Management/Human Resources) you also need to ensure that you will qualify for the relevant professional
memberships

I think first ask is the University Careers Service

celyn90

The MSci is often described as an "undergraduate masters" as you only have that - you don't graduate with a BSc/BA as well. It carries the same weight as a masters in most cases but is an undergrad course and therefore will be a elidgible for undergrad assistance. Your son's aquaintance is almost certainly on one of these programs if he is supported by the SLC.

MSci courses are more common than they used to be, but as other posters have said, this is a course you apply for from day one. When I went to uni (I am also a chemist) I was advised by the Uni to register for MSci courses as I would be funded and if I wanted to leave with a BSc to downgrade to the three year course once had taken my third year exams. Many in my year did this - from an initial intake of about 80, only 20 continued to complete the MSci; the rest leaving with a BSc after three years. In my year, the bulk of those that continued went on to a PhD or into the chemical industry, the bulk of those that took the 3-year option went into mainly non-science related jobs (most of my friends went into the financal sector, or to law or teaching and one got a job as a bench chemist with Pfizer).

Most of the institutions that I have come across treat the fourth year of an MSci as a research training year where the student will spend a sizable amount of time in a research lab (where I am atm, the students in Chemistry do the whole year full time attached to a research group with no exams, where I studied it was a mix, but heavily weighted towards practical work).

If he wishes to change institutions, then I would think it would be taken as a seperate degree he would graduate with a BSc then apply for an MSc (or equivalent) at a different institution and you would have to look for funding as it would no longer be an undergrad course.

Does he want to continue in the sciences once he's done this course? If so, maybe he'd be better off looking at a PhD programme instead depending on his long term plans. He has a very good chance of finding funding in Chemistry for a PhD if he wants to stay in science.

katieso

I'm actually currently doing my Masters (and beginning my PhD in April after my little 'un is born).

Most universities offer scholarships. If he's staying at the same uni there may be some available to him as a returning student (which new masters students are not entitled to apply for, which means slightly less competition.)

Also, don't rule out the research councils as some are now favouring funding MA years and have substantially cut PhD funding so it will be worth looking into. I think the thinking with this is to give more people the chance to further their education within the current economic climate.

Its hard to say though when you're unsure what course he is doing - if you did know a few quick phonecalls would probably help no end!