working during access course and funding

UKroseblue

Hi

Some advice would be appreciated please.

I have an interview on Monday for an access to HE course that i would like to complete in a year with a view to going to uni in sept 2009. My daughter is 13 and starting high school in september. I would like to finish uni before she finishes school.

At the moment i am a 41 yo single parent, working and earning around £13000. I also receive CHB, WTC, CTC and sometimes (!) maintenance from my ex.

I have debts and struggle to meet my monthly outgoings, juggling all the time and just about managing but when things go wrong like the car breaking down or a vets bill for the dog then i fall behind on everything and start playing catch up again! I am on a dmp with payplan.

I am bored stiff in my job and would like to go to uni to give myself confidence, learn new ideas, meet new people and challenge myself. I'm not entirely sure what i want to work as eventually and although I enjoy working with people I don't want to be a carer or social worker, more of an advisor of some sort...

Anyway, my worry is i won't be able to do the access course full time and continue working full time. My employer is very flexible and it's no problem reducing my hours but of course this means reducing my wages! As i have earnt 6 months FT wages already this tax year, my tax credits won't increase by much if i reduce my hours (well not as much as my wages were!) until April 09 and as i am already struggling to make ends meet, worry that i won't manage to keep up the mortgage payments and my dmp etc. I know there is the ALG but think i will only be entitled to £10pw during term time and while this is great, won't make that much difference. Does anyone know if there is any other help available? Do i have to pay council tax while on an access course?

Also, any other advice on being a mature student and the sort of courses i could consider would be much appreciated....

Thanks in advance.

jackk_2

Having just finished an Access to teaching course, i can tell you there is naff all help available. If you manage your time carefully i would say it is possible to work and do Access also. I would say though its been worth the struggle, the sence of acheivment is amazing. I start a Primary Ed BA in Sept, i still find it hard to believe lol.

Goodluck

Jackie x

Oldernotwiser

I think that you would be very unwise to consider working full time and doing a full time one year Access course but working part time would be possible, if you're organised and motivated. If a part time course was available to you I would think this a much better option and you'll also need to consider whether you're going to need to do any additional subjects(like GCSE English and/or Maths) alongside it.

It also depends on where you are academically when you start the course. If you've achieved well in previous study and particularly if you've studied anything recently, you'll be in a much better position than someone starting from a lower academic level. Access course students come from a wide range of academic backgrounds and some will find the course far more difficult than others.

Financially it sounds as if you may struggle, particularly as you have debts. When is your dmp due to finish? Have you considered whether you'll be able to afford the repayments when you're at university or will it be finished by then?

You may have already considered studying with the OU but if you haven't, I'd have a good look at this option. Apart from doing your whole degree with them you could consider doing 1 or 2 unites and presenting them to a traditional university as an alternative entry qualification. This is quite common, but needs to be checked out first.

I also think that you would be better to have clearer career aims at this stage; do you realise that you'll be applying to university in less than 4 months time? Some people do start Access courses with no clear aims, but many of them are a bit younger than you. (No offence intended.)

On rereading my post I'm concerned that I may be coming over as a bit negative but that's not my intention. You have every chance of succeeding if you plan well ahead but don't underestimate how intensive it will be doing Access full time. If you remember that the course has to take students who are often at only GCSE level to the point where they can cope with university study and do this in one year, then I think you'll see what I mean.

Good luck and do let us know more information about yourself and your plans.

UKroseblue

Hi, thanks for both your posts.

Oldernotwiser i appreciate your comments and no offence taken re: my age!

I also take on board what you say about having some focus on which course i want to take at uni. I have a fair idea that i want to do sociology and combine it with possibly social policies or politics. I think i am unclear because i'm not sure whether i should pick a course based on my interests (people, current affairs, unions, politics, europe, amongst other things) or do a degree that would lead to a new career and because of my age i worry that if i do that, i won't have many years left to offer a potential employer and would be competing with graduates much younger than me...I was thinking that once i'm in that environment things would become a lot clearer - but that was before you pointed out i would be applying in 4 months!:eek:

As for the financial side of things my dmp won't be finished for about 4 years at the current rate and i don't foresee being able to finish it any earlier. I do worry about taking on more debt as a student but know i won't be able to study and work full time but hope at the end of it all it will be worth it. I figure i can sit here now, wait a few more years until my debts are cleared, get more bored each day in my job and juggle my wages etc each month, or do something now, study along side my daughter while she's still at school and take advantage of the help i would get while having a dependent. Of course, all that is once i manage to pass my access course which is the immediate problem!

I know i could do this part time but as i want to finish studying before my daughter finishes school, assuming she will be staying on for A levels, i need to consider doing it in a year.

I won't need to do my GCSE maths as have this, albeit from 1984! I have recently completed a C&G level 2 in adult literacy and have a similar qualification from 1986 which i think is aceptable as an Eng equivelant. I have also completed some study recently at college as a TU rep. I know the access course will need a full commitment from me and I am willing to do that but it seems that between September this year and April next, i may struggle a bit financially as there doesn't seem to be much help available!

Thanks for your advice anyway. Do you know if i need to pay council tax as an access student?

UKroseblue

PS - i forgot to mention that i have looked at the OU and considered it but feel i would benefit from attending college/uni regulalrly and having structured lectures. I know this would work better for me.

jackk_2

I did'nt have to attend full time. I did monday 9.30 - 2.30, Thurs 9.30 - 2.30, Fri 9.30 - 2.30.

I had no academic qualification when i started. I needed Eng & Maths, but they were just incorporated into the course, i studied History as a major subject, then GCSE Maths, OCN English and IT. I also did GCSE Science for teachers on a Tues night, but obviously you'd only need to do that if you wanted to teach. Personaly i tryed the OU route and found the student support lacking.

I did apply to the alf and was given £500 to help with books and travel, this was paid in 3 installments, every little helps.

Hopefully that gives you an idea of what time you may need to allocate to studying. Your interview should be with one of your tutors, they are the best people to ask tbh.

Jackie

mummytofour

Im not sure.. Access course are run differently all over the place, somehow I have just finished mine... For me I have 5 kids and my kids were only in childcare on the 2 days a week I was at college. Im not sure where I found the time but to do essays but I did!

Mine was a daytime course some are nightime from what I understand the night time run ones are more intense as you do pretty much the same work in less time and mostly after a days work.

What kind of hrs are you looking at for the course, how many days a week? If you can manage your time well you could work full time and do an evening course But I know that option would be too much for me as Im quite thick so need lots of time to study, to make stuff go in and stay in.

Good luck in whatever you do.

Oldernotwiser

UKroseblue wrote: »

Do you know if i need to pay council tax as an access student?

If you're a full time student and there's no other adult in the house then you won't have to pay any council tax. I'm thinking about your other points but thought I'd answer the easy bit first.

Oldernotwiser

Will you be doing your Access course at the Isle of Wight College?

UKroseblue

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you're a full time student and there's no other adult in the house then you won't have to pay any council tax. I'm thinking about your other points but thought I'd answer the easy bit first.

Yes, no other adult in household. That'll be some help then, thanks.

UKroseblue

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Will you be doing your Access course at the Isle of Wight College?

Yep!! Can't afford the ferry fares to the mainland on top of everything else!