Funding for MA Law course

student_84

Hi,

I'm in a bit of a pickle and need some help with funding.

I have a place on Sheffield University's MA Law course and was going to obtain the money to pay for the fees from NatWest through their Professional Loan Scheme. This scheme, as I understand it, is for people who are undertaking further study to enter a chosen lost of professions.

As I am dong a masters qualification rather than a GDL my course doesn't exactly fit their criteria exactly but is still a valid route into the profession. I spoke at length to a Graduate Manager in May who assured me that I would be able to gain the banks funding for this course as it was a higher qualification than a GDL. Now that I have provided all the information that they require, as they needed my offer of a place as a part of the application, they have informed me that they will probably not be able to provide the funding, however this is with the underwriters.

a) according to the information on their website and the literature that I was sent the course I am enrolled on fits their criteria, what can I do to appeal this decision?
b) does anyone know of a bank who will be able to offer something similar to NatWest?
c) I have a Barcleycard Simplicity which I can use to pay the fees for the first year, has anyone done this before?

Thank you for reading my, rather long, post.

dmg24

Could I ask why you want to do the MA rather than the GDL?

I was offered a CDL for an LLM course - for what reason are they saying your course does not fit the criteria (or is the course the reason why you have been refused)?

student_84

dmg24 wrote: »

Could I ask why you want to do the MA rather than the GDL?

I was offered a CDL for an LLM course - for what reason are they saying your course does not fit the criteria (or is the course the reason why you have been refused)?

Thanks for the reply dmg.

The fees for the GDL work out as £7200 for a 1 year diploma course as opposed to the £7600 for a 2 year masters qualification. Also the timetable is very heavy for a GDL meaning I would not be able to work to earn living costs thereby barring me from being able to apply.

I'm looking at a CDL, however this could be an issue as at the end of the 2 yr course I need to be paying back that loan whereas I would need to go onto an LPC to allow me into a practice. I know that companies do offer training contracts that incorporate this, however 50% of people on this course do not have a training contract which the banks offering CDL's would no be happy with.

It's the course that does not fit the criteria exactly as it isn't a GDL, BVC or an LPC but removes the need to do a GDL which was why they said they would be able to offer it in the first place.

student_84

Can anyone help?