Funding for a second Masters degree; What are my options?
I completed a master's in clinical psychology in 2022. I've now had a change of heart, predominantly because I found out my clinical degree is not BPS accredited, and got accepted into a forensic psychology course today which is BPS accredited.
However, I've found out that I am not eligible for student loan because of my previous degree (I know, I should have researched this before applying). My fee for the full course is around £9,000, so there will be instalments of roughly £3,200 for each semester. I've worked part time in retail since graduating and desperately want to get out, but starting to feel like I need to stay there now during my studies.
What options do I have to fund this course? I've looked into scholarships and bursarys on my universities website, but they seem to be limited and super competitive. I would love to have sponsorship from someone that I can work with after I graduate, or find a part time job directly related to my course, but I don't even know where to begin looking for something like that (especially with the part time job related to my course, how can I find something without having the relevant qualification yet?)
I feel like I've totally messed up the trajectory of my career. I have a lot of regrets and really wish I made some different decisions after completing my Bachelors in psychology.
However, I've found out that I am not eligible for student loan because of my previous degree (I know, I should have researched this before applying). My fee for the full course is around £9,000, so there will be instalments of roughly £3,200 for each semester. I've worked part time in retail since graduating and desperately want to get out, but starting to feel like I need to stay there now during my studies.
What options do I have to fund this course? I've looked into scholarships and bursarys on my universities website, but they seem to be limited and super competitive. I would love to have sponsorship from someone that I can work with after I graduate, or find a part time job directly related to my course, but I don't even know where to begin looking for something like that (especially with the part time job related to my course, how can I find something without having the relevant qualification yet?)
I feel like I've totally messed up the trajectory of my career. I have a lot of regrets and really wish I made some different decisions after completing my Bachelors in psychology.
Reply 1
Hi,
Did your university that you did your undergraduate from offer any Alumni scholarships, if so it might be worth applying to do a masters there. I was able to get 50% of my masters, since I did my undergraduate at YSJ and received a first. So maybe this could be a option?
Would it be possible to do the course part time? It would mean doing it over 2 years instead of 1 but you would only be paying roughly £1,500 each term, if the course is £9,000 (9,000 ÷ 6 payments).
Have you spoken to the university that you have applied to about funding your degree, they might have a few suggestions or even be able to signpost you to any scholarships or bursaries that you maybe eligible for.
I've linked a website, which is a useful guide to postgraduate funding, it has a few suggestions in the guide on how to fund a masters degree without a loan from SFE
Postgraduate Loans in England 2024 - Save the Student
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Did your university that you did your undergraduate from offer any Alumni scholarships, if so it might be worth applying to do a masters there. I was able to get 50% of my masters, since I did my undergraduate at YSJ and received a first. So maybe this could be a option?
Would it be possible to do the course part time? It would mean doing it over 2 years instead of 1 but you would only be paying roughly £1,500 each term, if the course is £9,000 (9,000 ÷ 6 payments).
Have you spoken to the university that you have applied to about funding your degree, they might have a few suggestions or even be able to signpost you to any scholarships or bursaries that you maybe eligible for.
I've linked a website, which is a useful guide to postgraduate funding, it has a few suggestions in the guide on how to fund a masters degree without a loan from SFE
Postgraduate Loans in England 2024 - Save the Student
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Original post by YSJstudents
Hi,
Did your university that you did your undergraduate from offer any Alumni scholarships, if so it might be worth applying to do a masters there. I was able to get 50% of my masters, since I did my undergraduate at YSJ and received a first. So maybe this could be a option?
Would it be possible to do the course part time? It would mean doing it over 2 years instead of 1 but you would only be paying roughly £1,500 each term, if the course is £9,000 (9,000 ÷ 6 payments).
Have you spoken to the university that you have applied to about funding your degree, they might have a few suggestions or even be able to signpost you to any scholarships or bursaries that you maybe eligible for.
I've linked a website, which is a useful guide to postgraduate funding, it has a few suggestions in the guide on how to fund a masters degree without a loan from SFE
Postgraduate Loans in England 2024 - Save the Student
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Did your university that you did your undergraduate from offer any Alumni scholarships, if so it might be worth applying to do a masters there. I was able to get 50% of my masters, since I did my undergraduate at YSJ and received a first. So maybe this could be a option?
Would it be possible to do the course part time? It would mean doing it over 2 years instead of 1 but you would only be paying roughly £1,500 each term, if the course is £9,000 (9,000 ÷ 6 payments).
Have you spoken to the university that you have applied to about funding your degree, they might have a few suggestions or even be able to signpost you to any scholarships or bursaries that you maybe eligible for.
I've linked a website, which is a useful guide to postgraduate funding, it has a few suggestions in the guide on how to fund a masters degree without a loan from SFE
Postgraduate Loans in England 2024 - Save the Student
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Hi there!
I completed my undergraduate degree in the same university, there are no Alumni scholarships that I’m aware of.
My clinical degree was part time, but unfortunately the forensics degree I’ve just been accepted into is only available as a full-time course.
Thank you for this. I am a student in Wales, however, I will still look into this and apply what I’ve read to search alternatives for Welsh students. Thanks again for your response!
Reply 3
Original post by Efharry
Hi there!
I completed my undergraduate degree in the same university, there are no Alumni scholarships that I’m aware of.
My clinical degree was part time, but unfortunately the forensics degree I’ve just been accepted into is only available as a full-time course.
Thank you for this. I am a student in Wales, however, I will still look into this and apply what I’ve read to search alternatives for Welsh students. Thanks again for your response!
I completed my undergraduate degree in the same university, there are no Alumni scholarships that I’m aware of.
My clinical degree was part time, but unfortunately the forensics degree I’ve just been accepted into is only available as a full-time course.
Thank you for this. I am a student in Wales, however, I will still look into this and apply what I’ve read to search alternatives for Welsh students. Thanks again for your response!
Hi Efharry!
I would definitely recommend that you speak the university about the alumni discount, as most universities do offer this. You could explain your circumstances in regards to funding, and they might see if it is possible to take the course part time. It could be that they may offer it but not widely advertise it, as the part time route may not be that popular, in comparison to full time. It's always worth asking, just in case!
I have linked a few websites that highlight possible funding routes for postgraduate degrees in Wales. I would recommend that if you did apply for a scholarship, that you do this very soon, as they can be very competitive.
Funding for postgraduate courses | Careers Wales (gov.wales)
Fund your Masters | Find a scholarship | Prospects.ac.uk
Suzan - Student Ambassador
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