how to afford a masters degree?????

JanineB

There are many Trusts which give funding to students looking to do a masters. For example, each year in my area, the Renfrewshire Educational trust gives away one award of 3K to one student to complete a full time masters degree. This year they chose to award this to me and I'm starting my masters in September!

I found the link to the trust on the funding pages for the university of Glasgow. Have a look on your own universities web pages and have a look here too - http://www.prospects.ac.uk/funding_my_further_study.htm

This gives a list of similar trusts and educational bodies that may award funding. Be advised though that most of the closing dates have well passed for this year, apart from SAAS.

Good Luck

Janine

melancholly

The_One_Who wrote: »

Why?

Universities have to make money somewhere. I'm sure I read that universities (or at least some universities) lose money on every 'home' student. There are also motives of bumping themselves up internationally so that they can attract more students and create possible collaborations with other research institutions.

well exactly - since there is a massive loss on home students, the shortfall needs to be made up somewhere. higher fees? bad option. overseas students paying the full cost? better than making the rest of the home students do it! it's still cheaper than a US education.

once the students are in, they get marked in the same way and to the same standards as uk students - so there is nothing being fiddled here. top unis should attract the best students from around the world.

southoftheriver

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Not everybody got grants; they were assessed on parental income, rather less generously than loans and grants are today.

I don't think I suggested that everybody did get grants...

Most students I know (and I know hundreds and have worked with thousands) work hard and play hard. Even on my course I am surrounded by students from very comfortable backgrounds but they work their !!!!!! off.

The suggestion by some that we sit around not doing very much and squander our wealth is frustrating. I especially speak for those on vocational degrees which have long placement hours.

And I don't shop in Topshop.

ViolaLass

I worked alongside plenty who did faff around all the time and just go shopping though, so I think it swings both ways. I imagine there are fewer dentistry students doing this and more theoretical music students (I was one of the latter, only I did some work).

Oldernotwiser

southoftheriver wrote: »

I don't think I suggested that everybody did get grants...

You'd be surprised how few people know that grants were means tested on parental income in "the old days".

Voyager2002

melancholly wrote: »

well exactly - since there is a massive loss on home students, the shortfall needs to be made up somewhere. higher fees? bad option. overseas students paying the full cost? better than making the rest of the home students do it! it's still cheaper than a US education.

once the students are in, they get marked in the same way and to the same standards as uk students - so there is nothing being fiddled here. top unis should attract the best students from around the world.

I suspect that you are speaking mainly from your own experience, at the more prestigious end of the spectrum that is UK higher education.

Many of the less reputable universities in the UK admit overseas students whose academic background does not equip them to cope with the demands of the course. By the time the student has failed, the university has already banked the non-refundable tuition fees. A nice little earner for the university, but the consequences for the student (and the extended family who may have borrowed to raise the necessary money) can be utterly devastating.

There is also the possibility that some courses, primarily aimed at overseas students, are a good deal easier than apparently comparable courses aimed more at 'home' students. Degree marking is moderated by external examiners from other universities, so there is only limited scope for this kind of abuse.

melancholly

hmmm.... that's not something i've ever encountered - unis hate failing students as it drops them in the league tables so they bend over backwards to change courses or get a scraped through pass. my experience may have been at the higher end of the spectrum, but plenty of people who i studied with at some point are now teaching across the whole range of unis - the main complaint is how it is nearly impossible to fail someone these days!

it would be a very depressing policy to allow overseas students in who they know will fail to get the money from them..... i'd be genuinely shocked if that happened - apart from maybe isolated incidents. maybe i'm not as cynical about HE as i thought

Lara44

ViolaLass wrote: »

To be relevant to the thread though, what you're looking for is something more than what a student would accept.

Students are just people and they come in all shapes and sizes. If you were a student and you had 3 kids would it still be classed as some sort of luxury?!

Also this comment about it not being acceptable for funding to pay a student's mortgage. Why ever not? I don't see how someone could just sell their house because they are going back to university.

ViolaLass

LaraHoust wrote: »

Students are just people and they come in all shapes and sizes. If you were a student and you had 3 kids would it still be classed as some sort of luxury?!

Also this comment about it not being acceptable for funding to pay a student's mortgage. Why ever not? I don't see how someone could just sell their house because they are going back to university.

I meant in this specific example i.e. OP has not mentioned any children so I am assuming there aren't any at this stage.

The other poster (sorry, can't remember the name), on the other hand, was bemoaning how expensive London accommodation is and is looking for a TWO bedroom place with a garden. That is more than your average student would accept (out of necessity) and since we're talking about 'how you afford a masters' and the OP hasn't mentioned children, disability or other extentuating circumstances, then they would not NEED to spend the amounts that the other poster outlined.

That was my point, made in the context of the 'average' student. If I have missed a mention of children, disability or something else, then I would have to revise my opinion. But as it stands, your average student would not be looking for a two bed flat with a garden in Central London; they would rather save the money and they can.

stuckinmyflat

just wanted to say that i have no disabilities and no children as it seems to have cropped up.

i do feel that paying a mortgage instead of rent with a student loan is irrelevant, i have a small one bed flat with my OH, rent or mortgage would cost the same. A bit of a silly point really

i have to agree looking for a two bed place with garden in london seems excessive. My older brother was working in london for a private bank (earning a very good wage) and wasn't living anywhere like that. In fact he now lives in paris and still couldn't live like that. So it interests me that this would be affordable on a student loan ?