how to afford a masters degree?????

stuckinmyflat

have just graduated from uni with a 2:2 hons in management and hrm, and am contimplating life after uni :mad: .

i orginally thought i wouldnt be able to do a masters cause of that stinky 2:2 .but ran into a lecturer the other day, and have now been accepted for two different masters courses, one in management and one in IT.

problem is tho, im financially hard up as it is, uni have told me that both places are eligible for saas funding (fee's only) but my concern is financing for the year , i earn about £850 doing 18hrs for the nhs (absolutley no hope of increasing hours ), and my partner only earns around £1000 a month. plus we have a chequered credit rating, infact i will just be honest our credit rating is pants ! and the last year has been abit shady in terms of finance as OH had surgery and was on £270 a month for 4 mths.

is there any options available to me?


p.s was thinking of just holding off a year or two but job market is so rubbish combined with a rubbish degree, means im not even getting to the interview stage. I feel like now is the time to batter through my Msc and so that hopefully next year i will be in a better position to get a job. cant stand sitting around doing 18hrs a week for the next year, then being asked what have you done since leaving uni ?

Oldernotwiser

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. If you think you can get course fees paid by SAAS and you earn £850 by part time work, what other funding are you looking for?

stuckinmyflat

just want to know if there is any funding available, as last year was earning the same and had a student loan. i found the cost of books alone came into the hundreds, i know many say just get from the library but unfortunately at my uni, books can be requested, so you get it the first week , then someone who couldnt be bothered to get it straight away requests it for the next week. im not looking for thousands of pounds, but as we are not on a large income i hoped there was possibly some kind of financial support

Idiophreak

I paid for my masters with a career development loan - you'd have to take your chances with your credit record.

stuckinmyflat

i have looked into that also, but like you says it would be very hard with my credit record

Idiophreak

universities will also offer hardship grants and so on, if you can prove how poor you are

Oldernotwiser

stuckinmyflat wrote: »

just want to know if there is any funding available, as last year was earning the same and had a student loan. i found the cost of books alone came into the hundreds, i know many say just get from the library but unfortunately at my uni, books can be requested, so you get it the first week , then someone who couldnt be bothered to get it straight away requests it for the next week. im not looking for thousands of pounds, but as we are not on a large income i hoped there was possibly some kind of financial support

The idea of getting books out of the library is to use them and return them, not take them out for weeks on end.

stuckinmyflat

i understand that but when books costs upwards of £50 a time, and you are supposed to use them constantly for your course what do you do ?????????

Idiophreak

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

The idea of getting books out of the library is to use them and return them, not take them out for weeks on end.

Quite...So when a course requires you to use the same book every week for 10 weeks, you've little option but to buy the thing...

The_One_Who

I would seriously consider asking SAAS whether or not they will fund it, rather than just assuming they will. By and large, academics know nothing about the student funding system. Here is the link to the SAAS website detailing which postgraduate courses they do and do not support.

As for other funding, masters funding is practically non-existent. There may well be charitable funding, or departmental if you're lucky. Otherwise it's down the CDLs, working, or doing it part-time.

Also, as for the books, use the library! If the book is so essential to the course ask the library to put it on restricted loan so that everyone gets a shot with it. Be academic with your use.

stuckinmyflat

have already spoke to my uni about saas funding theres still 120 full time funded places at my uni, and my course would fall into that.