Exasperated post grad in need of advice please

Hi

I'm hoping for a little advice regarding possible funding for a degree. I originally graduated in 2005 with a Ba in design. I worked in the industry for four years until one day I developed a serious illness. It took me the best part of a year to fully recover, but when I had, my passion for design had gone. All I really wanted to do was help other people. So, I left my job and became a support worker for vulnerable people.

Moving on almost eight years; I still absolutely love my job and deeply regret not taking a health care relevant degree when I went to university originally. The career ladder in health care, specifically at the level I entered at and still work in, is very limited and the wages low. I would really like to take another degree so that I can move into a more professional role within the industry. Last year, following an interview at a university, I was offered a place on their podiatry degree program. I was over the moon. The chance for me to hone my skills in a specific area, appeals to me greatly. Unfortunately, it became obvious that I simply wouldn't be able to afford anywhere near the cost of the course. Care work barely pays enough for me to live, let alone undertake a degree. In short, it was a pipe dream. I'd got too carried away with the idea of building my career in an industry I'm passionate about, and had lost sight of the reality along the way. Gutted would be an understatement.

Now eight months on, and feeling utterly exasperated by my lack of options, I'm wondering if any changes have been made to the student loan system to allow people such as myself to pursue their dream career. Has anything changed? Are there any options that I'm not aware of? As a mature (34) post graduate I really feel utterly stuck. I still love my job, but I feel as though I’m at the top of a very short ladder. All I want to do is dedicate my experience, my skills and ultimately my passion, toward an area of study that will hopefully afford me the ability to continue working in a sector that I love, albeit at a higher level. Are there any alternative routes of funding that will allow me to take the degree? I just don't want to give up, because doing so will likely mean me having to return to my former, far less rewarding, but far better paying career. And as I get older, and my options reduce and the demands of life increase, it becomes an increasingly depressing likelihood.

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.


Thanks

Jim.