Going back to uni - financial help?

liney

I'd just bear in mind that a PGCE is a full time, 40 week course, and probably won't be much different hours wise than the full time job you say you can't do.

I know that in September when I start I have been warned about the workload, and will be expected to work through half terms etc to fit in assignments. University days will be 9am to 4.30 pm, plus travelling time, and placements are often an hour away from home. I will be expected at the placement school at around 8am daily and leave after 4pm, so potentially 7am leaving the house and arriving home no earlier than 5pm. Plus planning...

Finance side: funding is available for Initial Teacher Training so you should get a full fees loan, plus income assessed maintenance loan/grant. You will not be entitled to child care through tax credits because you both have to work at least 16 hours per week, but you may be entitled to the Childcare Grant through Student Finance, and possible Parents Learning Allowance which has some magic formula based on certain outgoings as well as income.

LunaLady

I have to agree with Liney. I am hoping to do a PGCE in the future but it is a full time, intensive course - not only working but studying and planning. I don't think its an alternative to a part time job, more the equivalent of a full time one.

pinkshoes

Thank you so much for all the replies! I'll attempt to answer all your points!

flea72 wrote: »

i take it your employers agreed to you going p/t when you returned from mat leave?

if thats the case, they cant force you to quit, they have to make you redundant, if the p/t post is no longer available

F

The company I work for couldn't give a sh*t what the law says! Their latest strategy is claiming there's a variation clause in my contract, but I can't find one...

Oddly, they are really struggling to recruit (word gets around that they're not a nice employer!), yet are willing to loose an experienced member of staff just for an additional 15 hours! They think that after a bit of complaining, I'm just going to roll over and accept the new hours, as they know I can't get a part time job elsewhere.

Dunroamin wrote: »

But why are you using the bursary to pay for the fees rather than taking out the fee loan? This seems to be the cause of your financial difficulties.

I did a 4 year degree course, and already have £9k remaining on my loan, so really don't want to take another loan out if I can possibly avoid it. Debt makes me anxious - even student debt!

doodoot wrote: »

OP, just a word of warning but you should also be actively applying for job vacancies as well as applying for PGCE placements.

There are far fewer places than people applying and it may take you a couple of years or more to finally get on one - this comes from personal experience and from friends.

Also, you will still have to have some form of childcare in place as you will be attending day-time classes at Uni AND you will have a school placement - most student teachers tend to have evening or weekend jobs to supplement their bursary.

I've applied to lots of jobs (loads going!), but as it's male dominated, part time jobs don't exist. I've had no problem getting interviews, and down to the last 2, but the job has always gone to the equally qualified who will work full time.

I'd need to earn quite a lot to cover childcare costs, so my only other option if I don't get a PGCE place is a stay at home mum.

liney wrote: »

I know that in September when I start I have been warned about the workload, and will be expected to work through half terms etc to fit in assignments. University days will be 9am to 4.30 pm, plus travelling time, and placements are often an hour away from home. I will be expected at the placement school at around 8am daily and leave after 4pm, so potentially 7am leaving the house and arriving home no earlier than 5pm. Plus planning...

I've spoken to quite a few people who have done a PGCE in the last 2 years, and some found the workload exhausting, whilst others worked until 7pm, then didn't do any after that, so I'll expect the worst!

I currently leave the house at 7am and am not back 'til 6pm, so am quite used to long days! I've also been refreshing my physics brain in the evenings once he's asleep!

Which uni are you going to?

LunaLady

If you are doing a Physics PGCE you could apply for a bursary from the Institute of Physics.

Credit-Crunched

pinkshoes wrote: »

It's usually best to ask questions for clarification rather than making rather rude assumptions!

As someone who DOES read more carefully pointed out, my post said that I might HAVE to leave my job, so very different to making myself intentionally homeless!
!

I said jobless not homeless, oh the irony of you picking out I did not read the post properly..

Dunroamin

I'm sure I've already suggested doing a part time, flexible PGCE with the OU but I can't remember why you didn't want to do this, althoughI do remember that you were quite negative to any suggstions that would solove your problems.

It seems to me that your prejudice against taking out the appropriate student funding is the only thing holding you back from your career plans and I do feel that this is unreasonable and shows a lack of motivation for this move.

Sorry, but that's how it comes across to me.

pinkshoes

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

I said jobless not homeless, oh the irony of you picking out I did not read the post properly..

Clearly a typo rather than mis-reading! I meant jobless not homeless...

The rules say be nice to moneysavers, so please refrain from being rude or nasty.

clairey179

OP - the PGCE isn't nearly as demanding as some make it out to be! My DH did a secondary PGCE, and I did a primary PGCE. He was virtually part time when at uni - approx 12-16 hours a week, wheras I was in far more often, more like 20-25 hours a week. Placements in school are a different kettle of fish though, and you need to really be in school from 8am, be leaving at 5, and fill out all the ridiculous uni paperwork for your lessons etc, aswell as actually plan what you're doing.
It's definately doable, but you'd need to be organised with childcare when you're actually out in schools.
The reality, as others have mentioned, of finding a teaching job is that it's very tough out there. I was one of the last FT perm teachers my authority took on, and that was 2 years ago now. You'd need to be very flexible on what you teach (like cover teaching, support for learning etc) as well as your own subject, and where you teach (as in be prepared to travel over an hour each way - lots of people I trained with 3 years ago still do this now).
Teaching is great however - DH and I both love our pupils, the holidays and fortunately work in schools with supportive colleagues and management teams.

Good luck with it all!