Autumn Statement - Postgraduate loans.

Universities Forum Helper

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(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

Slowbro93

20

From what I've seen, it will be available from 2016 :erm:

Reply 2

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Good idea but the devil will be in the detail. I wonder if this loan will extend to people who have already done BA/BSc but want to do an integrated master's. I believe a MSci is technically a postgrad qualification?

Original post by somethingbeautiful

That's so frustrating - I have a place for 2015 and so far I'm 100% self funding. I might write to Mr Osborne.

Would you not consider delaying doing a master's by a year? I probably would if I were in your position.

Reply 3

katkinspalmer

Hey somethingbeautiful, I was in your exact position last year and considering self-funding a master's. I'm writing a piece for The Telegraph about it and wonder if you'd be interested in commenting? My twitter is @katedpalmer :smile:

Reply 4

Jantaculum

10

Only for the under-30s. Ageist :eviltongue:

Reply 5

Snufkin

Original post by Jantaculum

Only for the under-30s. Ageist :eviltongue:

That is unbelievably unfair, what happens to those people who started their undergrad degrees a bit late? :angry:

Reply 6

Rakas21

Original post by somethingbeautiful

I'm really surprised that no one else has created a thread about this. I've been waiting for the Autumn Statement with bated breath and feel quite optimistic about the promise for tuition loans for postgraduate degrees.

Obviously, I'll believe it when I see it but it definitely feels like a move in the right direction.

Other than the BBC does anyone have any other news sources that are giving any particular detail about this issue such as when people will be able to apply for the loans/if they'll be available for 2015 entry?

Upto £10k
Maximum age of 30
Only 1 year courses (would assume there'll be something for part timers)
September 2016 entry onward

Original post by somethingbeautiful

That's so frustrating - I have a place for 2015 and so far I'm 100% self funding. I might write to Mr Osborne.

I'd defer. Think of it this way... an excellent chance to get work experience.

......................

My question is whether we will also get maintenance loans since these are just tuition fees.

Reply 7

arguendo

14

Original post by somethingbeautiful

I have already deferred due to financial issues. My place was for this September and I deferred for 2015 because I didn't have enough for the course. I'm on min wage and covering the cost of my MA is a massive challenge especially since the fee went up from 2014 to 2015 (in my naivety I didn't see that coming when I deferred). I think I might just be able to scrape by but it's going to be a struggle. A tuition loan would have taken a huge amount of pressure off.

Thanks :smile:

Well the thing is, I have already deferred and I'm not willing to put my life on hold further. I will just bite the bullet and self fund as difficult as it is proving to be. On the plus side, I won't be in further debt and I've developed the greatest work ethic of anyone I know.

Hi Kate, I would be happy to comment. Would you like me to contact you on Twitter or via PM on TSR?

The article I saw mentioned bursaries for 2015-2016 as the loans wouldn't come in until 2016 - perhaps that might offer an option?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 8

jelly1000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Snufkin

Good idea but the devil will be in the detail. I wonder if this loan will extend to people who have already done BA/BSc but want to do an integrated master's. I believe a MSci is technically a postgrad qualification?

Would you not consider delaying doing a master's by a year? I probably would if I were in your position.

You can't do that, just as you can't transfer into the 3rd year of a degree. And an MSci is undergraduate still.

Reply 9

Snufkin

Original post by jelly1000

You can't do that, just as you can't transfer into the 3rd year of a degree. And an MSci is undergraduate still.

Not sure what you mean by transferring into the third year of a degree, I didn't say that was possible. There seems to be a lot of confusion with integrated master's degrees, yes they are funded by student finance as undergraduate degrees however they have in the past been (and the MPharm degree still is) treated as postgraduate degrees for ELQ purposes.

Reply 10

jelly1000

Original post by Snufkin

Not sure what you mean by transferring into the third year of a degree, I didn't say that was possible. There seems to be a lot of confusion with integrated master's degrees, yes they are funded by student finance as undergraduate degrees however they have in the past been (and the MPharm degree still is) treated as postgraduate degrees for ELQ purposes.

I know, I'm saying that just as you can't do the 3rd year of a 3 year degree on its own at a uni (i.e. transfer just for the 3rd year or do the 3rd year years after you left after 2nd year)
you can't just do an intergrated masters year on its own, it has to be the 4th year of a degree.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 11

Bongo Bongo

19

Annoying that it doesn't start for 2015 entry. Does anyone know if you can still get a loan if you already have a postgraduate certificate, diploma or actual masters?

Reply 12

Original post by Snufkin

Good idea but the devil will be in the detail. I wonder if this loan will extend to people who have already done BA/BSc but want to do an integrated master's. I believe a MSci is technically a postgrad qualification?

Would you not consider delaying doing a master's by a year? I probably would if I were in your position.

It won't work. They will give 10K maximum to each student. Seeing how your average MSci has 4 years and every year will at least cost 3K, you won't be able to afford it just using the loan.

Reply 13

Original post by Bongo Bongo

Annoying that it doesn't start for 2015 entry. Does anyone know if you can still get a loan if you already have a postgraduate certificate, diploma or actual masters?

I would assume that the ELQ principle will apply, btw, you can only apply for taught masters funding (MA or MSc). So I guess you can only apply if you don't already have a taught masters.

Reply 14

Airfairy

It is interesting - I never thought it would go ahead. Masters aren't the most useful degree as it is, without everyone carrying on to do one - because that's what will happen.

The 10K limit - does that include a maintenance loan? Or is that separate like it is with undergraduate?

I wonder how it will impact on how competitive it is to get an offer for a masters. At the moment if you are gonna pay yourself, you are pretty much guaranteed an offer if you have a 2:1...even 2:2 at some unis.

I would definitely consider doing a masters with this scheme though. I have that much student debt at the moment that I probably won't ever pay it back anyway. May as well add to it.

Reply 15

Original post by Rakas21

Upto £10k
Maximum age of 30
Only 1 year courses (would assume there'll be something for part timers)
September 2016 entry onward

I'd defer. Think of it this way... an excellent chance to get work experience.

......................

My question is whether we will also get maintenance loans since these are just tuition fees.

My bet is that since it is a new thing it will only be tuition fees. Still pretty awesome if you ask me.

Original post by arguendo

The article I saw mentioned bursaries for 2015-2016 as the loans wouldn't come in until 2016 - perhaps that might offer an option?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Bursaries are only for selected universities and only 10K students will receive them as opposed to 40K for the 2016 postgraduate loans.

Reply 16

Bongo Bongo

19

Original post by Juichiro

I would assume that the ELQ principle will apply, btw, you can only apply for taught masters funding (MA or MSc). So I guess you can only apply if you don't already have a taught masters.

I know we don't know for sure yet, but if say if I have a postgraduate certificate would I still be able to get the loan for a full masters?

Reply 17

Original post by Bongo Bongo

I know we don't know for sure yet, but if say if I have a postgraduate certificate would I still be able to get the loan for a full masters?

It seems to me that you would because a postgrad certificate ain't the same thing as a masters.

Reply 18