Masters - How to pay for them?

SOUF_OF_THE_RIVER

I've been looking into Master qualification courses, they all seem to be pretty expensive.

Can you still recieve a student loan to study?
If you achieve a 1.1 distinction degree grade is there any grant or bursary available?

Will a Masters really help you have an advantage in getting higher salaries?

melancholly

you can't get a student loan like an undergrad, but there will be limited funding opportunties (often tied to a following phd) - a first will help to get these. a year out to work and save is the route i used.

a masters may help you depending on what area you're in - in some it will do nothing and in others it will make a big difference. there's no general rule.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=540618&highlight=grant+grabbing
this thread and the article it links to may help.

pboae

I funded mine with a Career Development Loan (plus some savings)
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/CareerDevelopmentLoans/DG_10033237

As melancholly says, whether it will help depends on lots of factors. I wouldn't have got a funded PhD without mine, but on it's own it wouldn't have made much difference to my earning potential.

LaurenNorwich

Agree with the above post, I used a CDL to finance my MA which was the only option available to me. Without the MA I wouldn't of got onto the fully funded PhD I am doing now. I don't really know how much value my MA would have been on its own, I would imagine it heavily depends on the subject you intend to study.

celyn90

I agree with the above posters too - if you want to continue it may help you secure a position on a PhD program, but I don't know how much difference it makes if you are going into the job market (especially as you have such a good undergrad degree that already puts you apart from the other applicants). I know it can make a difference in sought-after areas (such as Museum work) so it really depends on your future plans and your subject area.