Affording career development & courses - Advice needed please!

CGMCC

Hi guys,

I'd like to complete a course in Adobe InDesign and possibly Illustrator too.

I currently work 21.5 hours per week (over 5 days) as a school secretary (term time only) and earn £8,500pa. My husband earns around £24,000pa.

I have a 3-year-old daughter so, because of childcare arrangements, would like to complete a course by distance learning as I live rurally and travelling to a uni or college isn't practical.

I'd really like advice from anyone who can help me determine the best, most affordable way to do this, if even possible.

Costs:- If I qualify as a student, I can get 65% savings buying on the programmes from Adobe (which is all I can really afford at just under £17 per month). To qualify, I have to be enrolled in an "accredited public or private university or college (including community, junior, or vocational college) that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two years of full-time study". Qualifying as a student would be ideal, as I couldn't afford to pay for the individual plan of £51 per month to learn the programmes.

I'm hoping I'd be able to qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for the course.

In essence, I need a course which:-
- Is distance learning
- Qualifies for Adobe's discount
- Qualifies for Advanced Learner Loan

I feel like I'm asking for the moon on a stick :rotfl: but if anyone can help me in any way I'd be so grateful. I'd love to try and develop myself a career which I missed out on doing in earlier life. I do a lot of designing of school resources and promo material and it would be wonderful to be able to use industry standard tools and maybe open up opportunities for myself. I did think about exploring whether the school could help finance me with a view to making more quality resources but, budgets being as they are, I'm certain it would be a no-go as there's no need for it really.

Thanks for reading :beer: and maybe being able to help!

BorisThomson

You can teach yourself Adobe products, YouTube is a good starting point and there are several good books you could buy or borrow.

To register as a student without the study cost, you could register on an OU course, use your OU email to get the product and withdraw from the course. It may not be ethical but it is lawful, Adobe only assess you on your eligibility at the time of purchase.

Otherwise I might suggest you look to ebay for the product. I make no comment on the legalities of doing so! But equally, I would not encourage you to spend a lot of money on something that you're unlikely to ever gain much from.

CGMCC

BorisThomson wrote: »

You can teach yourself Adobe products, YouTube is a good starting point and there are several good books you could buy or borrow.

To register as a student without the study cost, you could register on an OU course, use your OU email to get the product and withdraw from the course. It may not be ethical but it is lawful, Adobe only assess you on your eligibility at the time of purchase.

Otherwise I might suggest you look to ebay for the product. I make no comment on the legalities of doing so! But equally, I would not encourage you to spend a lot of money on something that you're unlikely to ever gain much from.

Thanks so much Boris, I think you might have just found me the solution!