Can anybody help?

katia

Hi,
Firstly this is the first time I have ever started a thread so apologies if I mess up!

Ok, I'll try and make this as sensible as possible, but I am rather confused by my situation so bear with me.

I am a 4th year medical student, UK resident and at a UK medical student. At my medical school, we get the option to take an extra year to study a subject in more detail, this is known as an Intercalated degree. If you intercalate after 4th year, there is the option to gain a masters qualification. I have opted to spend next year doing a Masters in Public Health Degree which is an online, distance learning course.

That's where I am currently at, as long as I pass exams, I am due to start that course in Autumn 2008, for one year, then complete the final year of my medical degree 2009-2010.

The NHS give medical students bursaries from 5th year onwards to pay for tuition fees, this also applies if you are intercalating, so I get my fees paid next year and the year after, or so I thought. All the information i have read so far told me this was the case. Today, I have found information stating that these bursaries will only ever come to £1,200 or thereabouts, and students doing post-grad intercalated courses will not get any more. Because mine is a 'post-grad' course (it is also available to non-medical students doing it as a masters) the cost is over £4,000. I realise that any bursary at all is brilliant, but this has all knocked me for six a little.

Additionally, I have come to look at my student loan application (I don't know what I am entitled to if I do get anything via NHS), and it states that because I am doing a distance learning course I need to use a different application form only available in August.

I am really confused, just completely lost! If I don't pass my exams, I will only find out mid-may, which will mean I will have missed the deadline for normal applications. Sorry for such a long complicated post, I will re-explain anything if I've not made sense, I'm just hopinh someone out there will be able to advise.

Thanks

MrsManda

Hi Katia,
The best people for you to talk to about this is going to be your university department as presumably they deal with this kind of thing all the time.

I've not got any experience with NHS bursaries but I've just been reading the NHS Student Bursaries website and it seems to suggest that you can get upto £3225 bursary per year depending on your residual income (CLICK)
If the NHS pays for tuition fees from 5th year onwards this has got to come up to more than £1200 because these days students have to pay around £3145 per year for tuition fees for an undergraduate course.

As your course is a long distance masters, it is likely to be classed as a part time course. My husband is doing the same course as you want to do, through Manchester University and he works full time as well. Will you be earning while on your intercalculated year?

Another thing to think about is, if it classes as a postgraduate course, you may not be entitled to anything from the student loan company/your local education authority.

Your tutors/department probably know best, so talk to them.

Hope it all works out, the Masters in Public Health my husband is doing is fascinating

DrFluffy

The NHS 'living' bursary is usually around £3k - you can top up with your (reduced) student loan. You then also get your fees paid.

Given masters degrees are not usually funded at all (unless you apply for and get a bursary - rare) then to get your fees paid etc is actually really good.

Does your uni have an advice and counselling service? They usually have financial advisors who will know all the ins and outs of applying for SLC money and DH... Make an appointment to see them.

katia

Thanks very much to both of you for your replies. I didn't get any email to tell me I'd had any replies (need to check my settings) so I've only just read them now, and have fortunately done a few of the things you have advised

I have contacted the LEA and it turns out that because the NHS will give a fees bursary, my LEA are also happy to accept that as proof that I am carrying out the degree as a medical student undergrad and will still give me a reduced rate loan :T i realise this is quite area dependent, so I think I have been quite lucky as far as this goes.

In terms of the NHS bursary itself, the tuition fees bursary will only be £1250 for me because I started on my course before all the top up fees were introduced, so the old fees still apply to me for the duration of my course.

The course for me is a full-time one, as I have to complete it within the year, but it is basically the same one (I assume) that your husband is doing Mrsmanda, I just won't be trying to hold down a job at the same time, at least not full time!

The only other avenue I need to explore is the NHS means tested bursary that you both mentioned, as of today, that website was being a bit temperamental, but I'll give it another try tomorrow.

I've emailed someone at my uni, and got a very brief reply, but also tried another website called money4medstudents who offer an email advice service for free, and that has been absolutely brilliant also.

So, things are looking more hopeful, and thanks again so much for all of the advice, and also for the positive comments about the course. Makes me more determined to do it one way or another!

Really appreciate it :beer: