Funding advice

[Creole]

Dear all,

Where can one go for funding for a postgraduate course (other than the banks)?

My friend is in the middle of the one year legal practise course ? this means at the end of the course she will be a fully qualified solicitor (I think).
At the moment she is thinking of giving it up as she can?t afford the fees and look after her 2 kids. She recently separated from her husband who is making life very difficult for her (I think he?s a bit jealous as she?s making something of her life). They have 2 kids and only working part- time as well as study fulltime to complete her LBC.

I am so sadden that she is thinking of leaving the course, as I know she is a very intelligent woman, she got a 2-1 Law degree whilst going through emotional and physical abuse from her husband as well as working full time.
I have contacted the career development loan to see what she can get, but because of her bad credit history, the application for CDL might go against her.

So do you know which other company or organisation that can help?

Many thanks for any advice you can give.

Creole

[Creole]

Anyone?

[Philomena]

Has she tried the hardship fund at her university? There is usually a hardship fund to help out in certain circumstances. Don't know whether it would be administered by the student union or the university.

Alternatively, she should talk to her tutor/course director to explain her circumstance to see if there is any flexibility with regard to the course fees. Whilst I'm sure they would not write off the fees, they may be able to agree a deferred payment plan.

I'm not aware of any organisations that might be able to help, but her tutors might.

[zippitippitoes]

a career development loan..don't know the rules thopugh

[Judy1234]

My daughter will be doing this next year. She has "mother funding" or hopefully by then law firm funding. There's an argument you shouldn't start that course unless and until you've got a job with a firm afterwards who then pay your course fees. She could apply now and they sometimes pay retrospectively even if you started the course. If you haven't got a training job to go to afterwards may be not worth doing the course as well. It's a very important issue and thing to consider. She is only qualified when she does the 2 years training working in an office (and getting paid) after the course.

She should be writing to about 10 firms a week applying for training contracts ideally firms which will pay her LPC fees. Hard to advise her to take on jobs as people do at weekends to fund themselves as she has children and works so not like your average student.