Student Funding: Loans, Grants & Scholarships

chinesedeli

Hi this would be a great help to me to as I am going to be a student nurse in September and am un sure of what things I am entitled to.

cheesy_pea

can a student start more than one student account?
if they need more money than they get from the student loan and having one student account, why cant they open more?
also, once they open an account, is it a good idea to withdraw up to the agreed 0% overdraft limit and put it in a cash isa and therefore gain a good interest rate?

pug_in_a_bed

Postgrads get looking into scholarships from your departments and generaluniveristy - these are often NOT publicised by the uni's (greedy so and so's ) so you need to ring up and hassle them. Most departments have grants from former students or in memory of lecturers which can pertain to your area of study. The AHRB funding is very difficult to get, you need a first at degree level (its mainly for research MA's) or an incredible thesis topic.

Try Hotcoursesto search for money available from univeristies and organisations. Also applies to undergraduates - if you get a scholarship one year, you're very likely to get it the next.

If you are 2005/6 entry then you may be too late, although a few weeks/months in you could maybe apply for the univeristy harship funding grant - but you have to show you have made an effort to support yourself and consider the funding for the time.

2006/7 entry - start looking now!

Lizzie134

I've just read the article and was intrigued to see that it says you are assessed on your parents income until you're 25 unless you're estranged.
This isn't always the case. Both my children at Uni were able to say they were independent at 21 because they had supported themselves for 3 years (paye details needed). They were both living at home during these 3 years. Both received full loans, all their tuition fees paid AND the hardship grant of £1000 each year.
if they had been assessed on my earnings they wouldn't have qualified for anything except the minimum.
It's worth checking with the Student Finance people to get their take on this especially if you've had 2 years out - might just pay you to take the 3rd.
The loan forms toghether with that really easy to read guide don't make this clear but as far as I know it's still OK to do this.

m277

It might be worth pointing out that if someone didn't fill in any forms even if they didn't want the student loans then they'll be charged the full whack for tuition fees which would be about £10000+ (yes ten thousand and dependant on uni) and not £1175. And if they went to Oxbridge they'll have to pay college fees as well which are about £4000 i think a year. So fill in those forms even if you don't want a loan.

elisebutt65

Also if you're a single parent, you may be eligible for extra grants.
I get a Childcare Grant - ask for form CCG1 and a adult learning grant(I think that's what it's called?) basically for living costs. The Childcare Grant covers you for 85% of childcare costs.

These are non-means testable, when it comes to applying for housing benefit and Chid Tax Credit.At present I'm getting about £25 a week in housing benefit for a council house so my rent is only about £142/month. Also get £117 per week in CTC co living isn't too hard. I did think about applying for a bursary from the college but bank balance evens out - i.e.ingoings pretty much equal outgoings, so don't think I'll be eligble.

melbury

So hard to find any funding for masters - I disagree with the earlier post, my son got a first class degree and still received absolutely NOTHING from the AHRC (formerly AHRB) - not a penny, so I don't think it actually depends on getting a first, just the whim of the people making the decisions!

So now we are having to come up with about £13,000 between us to fund this. Why isn't there any provision for postgrad funding - it's pathetic!

pug_in_a_bed

Very true - but getting a first ups your chances. My department tells students not to bother applying if thye did not get a first. The awards do, however, often seem quite hit and miss in my experience, often rewarding a department first and its students second. A big pain, definately.

Joey_3

Just reading this post and worrying - I got a first in my degree (graduated this year) and am hopefully applying for AHRC funding for my Masters course (which my boss seems convinced I should be able to get, but I'm not so sure it's that easy). Do you have any advice for applying for the funding?

Barcode

A first, whilst obviously great, isn't absolutely essential. I mean, a first from certain universities will be equal to a 2:1 elsewhere. Not all degrees are equal. Then you have to put it into context. How many out of the year group receive what grades for instance.

References are given a high priority - somebody who writes generalised remarks is just going to let the applicant down. I've asked two professor's who know me reasonably well, and they will write about my strengths *and* weaknesses. It's not a bad thing to admit you need further training, after all, that's the point of a research degree.

Then there is the actual research proposal itself; somebody with a first and a so-so proposal will likely be worse off than somebody with a 2.1 and a solid proposal. I wouldn't plan on doing something that a lot of people seem interested in either. Oh, and a 'because I'm interested in the topic' isn't a good reason for doing research - it's supposed to make some sort of contribution to the debate, help fill in the gaps in knowledge.

It's unlikely I'll receive a first - more than likely, I'll get a good 2:1. I'm not worried about people applying who may or may not have better grades than me. I've thought about what I want to research, and my focus will be on that. Oh and decent references of course.