Placement year

How have people coped with a unpaid placement year?

I want to do a vet nursing foundation degree (as a mature student) and the 2nd year is placement. As far as I can tell you can't get the maintenance loan or it's massively reduced.
How do you pay for rent, energy, food etc.. if your in a full time placement and can't work - except maybe at weekends.

I have 7500 a year rent to pay. I just can't see how it's do able.
I have no family or partner to lean on for support at all.

Reply 1

ThatguyAl

UNPAID?
I have no understanding of vet industry at all, but any unpaid work seems like a scam to me.
Unless it's volunteering, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for employers not to pay at least the national minimum wage.

Reply 2

mory34

Seems to be the norm with vet nursing (and human nursing for that matter - though they are allowed a full maintaince loan).
There is a petion going round to get it stopped but it is perfectly legal. Your a student I guess, not qualified.

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 3

bambi1425

Hi! It would be worth seeing if your university have a bursary available, or talking to the finance team. It is the norm for it to be an unpaid placement so this shouldn't be a new situation for them to encounter.