Very Mature Student Question

photojenny

Hi

I am really interested in doing an one year post grad course (MA).

I'm 45 and did my degree 1987 - 1990, which means that I have never had a student loan of any description (this was in the days of the student grant, before student loans were introduced).

I know that student loans are not given to post grad students, but I wondered if this meant younger - i.e. not 'mature' like me - students, who have already had a student loan.

I'm definitely not in a position to fund this myself (no savings, very poorly paid job). I've visited the DirectGov loan calculator, which says that I 'may not be' entitled, but wondered if anyone here might have any ideas/advice.

I really, really want to do this and am feeling very disheartened ...

Any info gratefully received.

Cheers.

Wyndham

I'm pretty certain that the rules state you can have a loan for your first degree, so it's the fact you have a degree already which is the deciding factor, rather than whether or not you got a loan.

Funding for PG is very hard. If you have a University in mind, contact them and asks about bursaries and other help with funding. But please don't go with high expectations as there really isn't much around at all. I used to be a PG Admissions Officer, so unfortunately I do know what I'm talking about

Why do you want to do the course? Do you think it will help your career prospects? If so, you may want to look at Career Development Loans - they are loans and need to be paid back, but are there to help with studying.

Good luck!

P.S. 45 isn't VERY mature at all!

Voyager2002

The student loan system is not available for MA courses.

There is virtually no funding available for this: consider working while studying part-time, or studying in Europe (where there are no tuition fees).

photojenny

Wyndham wrote: »

I'm pretty certain that the rules state you can have a loan for your first degree, so it's the fact you have a degree already which is the deciding factor, rather than whether or not you got a loan.

Funding for PG is very hard. If you have a University in mind, contact them and asks about bursaries and other help with funding. But please don't go with high expectations as there really isn't much around at all. I used to be a PG Admissions Officer, so unfortunately I do know what I'm talking about

Why do you want to do the course? Do you think it will help your career prospects? If so, you may want to look at Career Development Loans - they are loans and need to be paid back, but are there to help with studying.

Good luck!

P.S. 45 isn't VERY mature at all!

Thanks for the info - I'm seriously gutted, but suspected it would be the case. It's extremely annoying as I've literally *never* had any kind of loan, and have a credit card I've never used (!). My credit rating must be exemplary ... I want to do the course for various reasons, but one is to enhance career prospects. I imagine that the career development loan is a lot more of a pressurised thing, not sure I could cope with being in such a lot of debt.

And I'm nowhere near 'mature' - the very idea is preposterous!

photojenny

Voyager2002 wrote: »

The student loan system is not available for MA courses.

There is virtually no funding available for this: consider working while studying part-time, or studying in Europe (where there are no tuition fees).

Thanks for that - one of the attractions was taking a break from the whole work thing, my job is pretty hideous and the wage is pitiful. I figured that it would be a good way of killing two birds with one stone. Oh well.