Want to update my skills, can't get finance

Alyzande

Hello
I have a degree. I am a full time (day and night) carer/mum for a disabled son and on benefits. Our benefits are very stretched and I have had to choose between food or heating at times. This can't continue.

I'm intelligent, and I want a career, but my degree is out of date, and I have no recent work experience. I think the Open Uni graduate entry course in Law for an LLB is something I could manage in my part time when the children are asleep, and then I could go into a career in Law.

I can't get finance. I'm not eligible for tuition fee loan due to already having a degree. I'm not eligible for "Access to Success" for those with no income, as I have a degree. I can't even get an OU Student Budget Account to pay the £2,500 a year fees, because my credit history is bad, because I am a carer managing on benefits.

Any ideas? Educational Funds? Grants? Anything? Give up on having a career and get back to the housework?

Thanks for reading.

dizzyrascal

You can top up an academic degree to a qualifying law degree by doing a one year GDL Graduate Diploma in Law.
It is quite expensive and you will struggle to get any funding.
Law is one of the most oversubscribed and competitive areas for a career.
Even once you have qualified after doing your LPC Legal Practice Course, (approx cost 12-15k ) you will be in competition with hundreds of bright new grads who will be willing to work all hours of the day and night to get that training contract. They will also be extremely passionate about working as a lawyer. Your post makes it sound like you have found something that will fit-in with your life, not something you are passionate about?
A newly qualified lawyer or one on a training contract will need to show willing and work long hours. This is not a family friendly job. Take a look into your city centre at night and look at the offices of the law practices. The lights are usually on quite late and it's not the cleaners working, it's the lawyers.
Despite being 2013 you will be expected to put in these hours, even if you have children. It's not known to be a family friendly job and so you will need tons of family support to achieve this. I doubt that you would get a training contract that would let you work part time either.
From what you have said about your personal circumstances I would have a serious re think about where to go next.
By that I mean think about something else that will fit in with your family commitments. What is your first degree in? Can we start from there and build on it or is there someway you can develop a career from home?

Alyzande

I am pretty well covered with regard to motivation, I was looking for some financial advice. Any ideas?

dizzyrascal

Well you can't get a Career Development Loan if you have debt issues as you are credit checked and you have to pay it back as soon as the course has finished.
Most law graduates will have to take a low paid paralegal job (if they're lucky) upon graduation. Many will do this with an LPC to pay for too.
I think that investing in a lottery ticket is your best option.
Charities aren't keen to help fund law qualifications as it is not seen as worthy, well in relation to say medicine.

Fire_Fox

It's tough enough for undergrads with no degree to get grants, people who are already qualified to degree level are not a priority.

Get a job at Anglia Pretend University or one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge and you might be able to study for free in time. I also don't see how you are going to have a career in law if you are a full time carer for a disabled child. You might be able to get some free courses at a local college since you are on benefits, not degree level AFAIK but something that will help you get back into employment or study.

Dunroamin

Alyzande wrote: »

I am pretty well covered with regard to motivation, I was looking for some financial advice. Any ideas?

Unfortunately, sometimes motivation isn't enough.