Financial help for mature medical student?

ChinUp_2

Hi,

My boyfriend is studying medicine at Uni and is finding it very difficult financially. I'm wondering if there is any help he can get?
His background is that he is in mid 30's and has done a degree before and also a PHD. He will be starting his 3rd year of five in September. He lives with his Mum to save on living costs and commutes to Uni (though petrol prices means it costs at least £50 a week to get to/from Uni).

As he has done a degree before he is only allocated the maintenance loan, he gets no help with fees or anything else. For the 1st two years of his course he took out a loan with the bank (one for further education) to cover the tuition fees.

So, what help can he get? It really is difficult as he has no time to work during term time as he is constantly studying. He cannot get any financial help from his family. He struggles to afford the petrol, let alone any books or equipment he has to buy. He has debt from previous studying and I worry that he won't be able to complete the course down to finances.
Any help and advoce will be much appreciated. Thanks.

MrsManda

Is he doing an UG medical degree or a graduate medical degree?
Presuming he's doing a standard 5 year UG degree there's not much funding left for him as he's already done so much study.
Did he not work out the costs of doing this degree and consider saving up first?

He won't have to pay for his tuition fees for his 5th year so that is a bonus. But for the next two years I don't think there is any standard funding available. He could try for a scholarship/bursaries from the BMA and various charitable trusts. See HERE for links to grant search engines. I'd also suggest he spoke to his university student support services to see if they have any advice for him.

AnxiousMum

Before embarking on a medicine course, you are made very aware of how expensive it is, and just what type of funding there is available to you. Does his university allow the student fees to be paid over time? The one my son intends on going to (but doing his biomedscience degree first) allows year 1 of medicine to be paid over the entire three years, making it much more affordable as he'll be working during the summers, as he has done for the last two summers to save the money needed for those years.
He should speak with student financial support on campus to see what they can advise, do for him.

ChinUp_2

He is on an under-graduate degree over 5 years. I am aware that in the 5th year he will get his fees paid. He is considering RAF/Army sponsorship if he can get in. Does anyone know if there are age limits to apply for this? It isn't clear from the websites but I've seen comments in other forums about age limits at around 29 yrs, he is older than this.

MrsManda

ChinUp wrote: »

He is on an under-graduate degree over 5 years. I am aware that in the 5th year he will get his fees paid. He is considering RAF/Army sponsorship if he can get in. Does anyone know if there are age limits to apply for this? It isn't clear from the websites but I've seen comments in other forums about age limits at around 29 yrs, he is older than this.

Don't know about age limits but you need a high level of physical fitness, be willing to commit to joining the forces, and join your university's OTC/UAS whilst at university. Plus scholarships are highly competitive and are unlikely to be given unless he is performing well in his studies and is enthusiastic about joining the forces - if he hasn't already joined the OTC/UAS, they may wonder about his motives

ChinUp_2

He is performing very well in his studies and is physically fit. He has always been interested in working with the RAF/Army and has now decided that it is a route he would like to try to go down.