PGCE & Masters Course in one - Student Finance England?

DannyWhoWorks

Hello,
I have applied for a course to start in September and if successful, I want to work out my finances. I am a mature student and it is important I am financially able to support myself.
The course is a two year course where the first year is a PGCE and the second is a masters, but the course is under the same umbrella (as far as I am aware it’s a new type of course the university is offering).
The course offers a bursary which is 20k per year.
This is a great amount and one of the reasons why I am able to even think about doing this course due to my own finance situation. However, It is still going to be tight.
I have looked into it and apparently, for a PGCE you can apply for a loan and grant from the Student Finance England.
There is only two things I am unsure on. Firstly, as I will be receiving the bursary will I still be able to apply for the loan and grant from Student Finance England and lastly, with it being the PGCE the first year and masters in the second, will I still be able to apply? As I know you cannot receive it for masters only PGCE.
Many thanks for any replies or advice!

bellaboo86

I would suggest getting in touch with student finance (although speaking to an actually human might prove tough). I'm pretty sure you can still get finance with a bursary.
Just out of interest why did you choose the course with the masters over the regular PGCE?

agrinnall

You'll be getting £40,000 (I'm guessing it'll be tax free) to live on for 2 years and you want even more? I doubt if there are many other people receiving such huge amounts to study, so perhaps you should be grateful for being in a far better position than most students.

DannyWhoWorks

bellaboo86 wrote: »

I would suggest getting in touch with student finance (although speaking to an actually human might prove tough). I'm pretty sure you can still get finance with a bursary.
Just out of interest why did you choose the course with the masters over the regular PGCE?

Many Thanks for your reply! Hmm, I did apply for the regular PGCE course first but was told about this other course which has the bursary and course fees paid also! I did intend to do a masters but a lot later on in my career but I realised this was a too good of an offer to turn down.

agrinnall wrote: »

You'll be getting
g £40,000 (I'm guessing it'll be tax free) to live on for 2 years and you want even more? I doubt if there are many other people receiving such huge amounts to study, so perhaps you should be grateful for being in a far better position than most students.

Heya, fair enough but I am very grateful! It is just the situation I am in (I have no reason to declare this on a public forum) I would only be able to return to full time study with a certain amount of income per year - mature student, mortgage, change of career etc.

agrinnall

It's an astonishing amount of money, what is the course, is there a good reason why they have to offer so much to get people onto it?

As someone who did the same as you (I was fortunate enough to have paid off my mortgage by the time I did it - although I did have to pay rent on a flat near the university for the duration of the taught part of my Masters) like most mature students I funded myself from savings.

Taiko

So, link us to the course?

Something doesn't ring true to me.

tomtontom

I'd like to know where the course is at also. I am aware of the PGCE with part time Masters after it, but the part time element does not attract the same funding.

DannyWhoWorks

I did wonder why they are offering such a high bursary but it is a new course (starting this year).


The course is here: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/courses/prospectus/postgraduate/courses/PGCE-Post-Compulsory.asp

agrinnall

Thanks for the link. I guess if you have a desire to be a teacher and have the necessary qualification then it's a great deal, although the strong religious background of the university would put me off.

jellyfox

I would've thought you would still be eligible for a student loan and grant, for the first year at least, the bursary is a completely separate thing which doesn't come from student finance and is an incentive to do a subject which they need more teachers in - for example you get a £20k bursary to do secondary school Maths/computing.

Mrs_Soup

You obviouly wouldn't be eligible fo the tuition fee loan as you wouldn't be paying any tuition fees. You might find you can only get additional funding via loan/grant for the PGCE year. Grant looks as if it is dependant on household income so if you have a partner who earns that would be taken into account but I think you can get extra for children if you have them.