Finance for a mature student doing a Masters degree in Scotland

samtheman_2

Hi,
I hope you can all help me - I got a third in my first degree and am considering returning to university in scotland to do a masters degree. Its been a while since Ive been at uni (and I'll now be considered a mature student at 28) and I am wondering what financial help/loans I can get to help me fund my studies.

Also does anyone know how long a masters takes these days?

Thanks in anticipation

lady_lucan

Usually take 9mths. Funding is from Scottish Higher Education Funding Council or Scottish Executive (SEED). Extremely difficult to get, and you've missed it for this year, obviously. best bet is to keep your eye on the Times Higher Education Supplement and jobs.ac.uk for postgraduate studentships - again, these are like gold dust, you'll need a really good first degree and a good explanation of your time out from academia. Overall, the main thing you can get help with is your travel expenses to/from uni (SEED again) but not usually a student loan - maybe consider a graduate/professional studies loan? My advice would be only do the masters if it really benefits your career/and or you're really interested in the subject, otherwise it's little more than a moneyspinner for the uni. Get the best value you can by going to a uni with a good reputation, and remember housing in the big Scottish cities is a lot more expensive than it used to be. Good luck!