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Attention those who have done a second undergraduate degree

Those of you who have done or are doing a second undergraduate degree/are knowledgeable in this area - how did/can you fund it?

(edited 8 years ago)

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Reply 1

Freudian Slip

I'm fortunate that my course is NHS funded, since it leads to professional registration. I don't think there'd have been a cat's chance in hell I'd have been able to afford to pay my own way through a second undergraduate, so I'm pretty darn thankful.

Reply 2

abc:)

Original post by Birkenhead

Those of you who have done or are doing a second undergraduate degree/are knowledgable in this area - how did/can you fund it?

Is this because you're considering it? If so, what degree did you do, and what are you looking at doing?

After finishing an arts degree, a lot of which made me roll my eyes and sigh and wish I was doing something practical that helps people, I considered doing nursing for a while, which is NHS funded, so perhaps if you are worried about money you might consider areas where the cost is covered.

Reply 3

Birkenhead

Original post by Freudian Slip

I don't think modern history or law are likely to be sposored by the NHS, unfortunately.

Reply 4

Birkenhead

Original post by abc:)

I'm planning ahead. Hopefully I will be starting a linguistics degree next autumn. I don't want to do a second degree out of financial desperation, I want to do a second degree (eventually) to enrich my mind and enhance my career prospects. NHS funding isn't an option for me because I plan on studying either modern history or law.

Reply 5

llys

Original post by Birkenhead

I don't think modern history or law are likely to be sposored by the NHS, unfortunately.

For Law you could just do a Graduate Diploma (only one year, so lower costs).

Reply 6

Freudian Slip

Original post by Birkenhead

I don't think modern history or law are likely to be sposored by the NHS, unfortunately.

Sadly, no.

I've dug up a couple of foundations that might be of interest: http://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/grant/the-sidney-perry-foundation-15462 and http://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk/. Short of crowdfunding, I think the best idea is likely to look into scholarships, charitable trusts etc., etc.

Reply 7

Birkenhead

Original post by llys

For Law you could just do a Graduate Diploma (only one year, so lower costs).

I know, but it is very expensive for one year and more or less the whole point of planning for this second degree is that I'd only be doing it (if at all) at Oxford or Cambridge (second timers can apply to both) because of the significantly enhanced career prospects for a legal career - a two-year senior studies degree there would in my mind be much better value to this end, if slightly more expensive

Original post by Freudian Slip

Thanks so much, I will look at these carefully

Reply 8

Freudian Slip

Original post by Birkenhead

Thanks so much, I will look at these carefully

The Sidney Perry Foundation, the first link, looks like it might be a tad more helpful than the second.

Since it'd be statutory funding from the government that you'd no longer be entitled to after completing your first degree, the options are reduced somewhat to: scholarship, charitable funding, Master's level education or a private loan.

https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/overview - Professional and Career Development Loans.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/funding_postgraduate_study.htm - Postgraduate Funding.

Reply 9

Tiger Rag

I was going to say that the OU are generally cheaper than brick unis. Plus, (I don't know much about this) they have a something where if you pay your fees yourself, they pay them and yout just pay them in instalments - OUSBA, I think it's called.

Reply 10

jelly1000

Original post by Birkenhead

Modern History might enrich your mind it wont enhance your career prospects any more than linguistics.

Reply 11

Juichiro

Original post by Birkenhead

Those of you who have done or are doing a second undergraduate degree/are knowledgeable in this area - how did/can you fund it?

People either do a degree that is funded (healthcae/medicine degrees) or they worked till the saved enough to pay their fees. Of course, this was pre-9K. Unless you are rich, there is no way you will be able to fund your degree yourself. That means that, unless you are rich, you can only do a second degree if it is in healthcare/medicine.

Reply 12

Juichiro

Original post by jelly1000

Modern History might enrich your mind it wont enhance your career prospects any more than linguistics.

+1

If the user wants to enrich their minds there are less career-destroying ways to do it such as MOOCS (taught by world leaders, self-paced and mostly free).

Reply 13

Birkenhead

Original post by jelly1000

Modern History might enrich your mind it wont enhance your career prospects any more than linguistics.

Original post by Juichiro

+1

If the user wants to enrich their minds there are less career-destroying ways to do it such as MOOCS (taught by world leaders, self-paced and mostly free).

I would only be doing this degree at Oxbridge, which would definitely enhance my career prospects

Reply 14

Birkenhead

Original post by Juichiro

There are independent educational gold pots available, there is crowdfunding, there is working - there may also be other opportunities, which is what I'm hoping to discover here

Reply 15

cambio wechsel

Original post by Birkenhead

Hopefully I will be starting a linguistics degree next autumn.

for whatever reason I've long had some fixed idea that you were a Law student at Bristol. Possibly I'd mixed you up with someone else.

I'm anyway unsure as to why you'd do a second undergraduate degree. In order that Oxbridge take you, you'll almost certainly need a first in your BA. But with that first in your hand, you could apply for a Master's degree that would put Oxbridge on your CV, and be both of shorter and less costly. You might even get some funding for it...

Reply 16

Juichiro

Original post by Birkenhead

There are independent educational gold pots available, there is crowdfunding, there is working - there may also be other opportunities, which is what I'm hoping to discover here

I was talking about non-probabilistic methods to fund your second degree. Crowdfunding is a probabilistic method.

Reply 17

jelly1000

Original post by Birkenhead

I would only be doing this degree at Oxbridge, which would definitely enhance my career prospects

In Law and IB I've heard yes, it will give you an advantage. For other jobs then the name might put you near the top of the pile depending on the employer but so much more depends on your application and interview.

Reply 18

Birkenhead

Original post by cambio wechsel

for whatever reason I've long had some fixed idea that you were a Law student at Bristol. Possibly I'd mixed you up with someone else.

I've told you this before! I was studying English at Bristol but have since left because I hated the course

I'm anyway unsure as to why you'd do a second undergraduate degree. In order that Oxbridge take you, you'll almost certainly need a first in your BA. But with that first in your hand, you could apply for a Master's degree that would put Oxbridge on your CV, and be both of shorter and less costly. You might even get some funding for it...

Career prospects at the Bar and personal enrichment. First noted, it was one of the lesser reasons I chose the course in the first place (I think KIS said 45% get one) I think a Master's in linguistics would be a complete waste of money for the Bar. One barrister went so far as to say that the BCL is the only one worth doing

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 19

justag

Original post by Birkenhead

I've told you this before! I was studying English at Bristol but have since left because I hated the course

Career prospects at the Bar and personal enrichment. First noted, it was one of the lesser reasons I chose the course in the first place (I think KIS said 45% get one) I think a Master's in linguistics would be a complete waste of money for the Bar. One barrister went so far as to say that the BCL is the only one worth doing

Why don't you just apply for Oxbridge now if that's what you want?

Tbh, you want to do a second degree at Oxbridge because it's Oxbridge, not to enrich your mind. There are a million and one ways to achieve the latter goal.

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