To ask how you have funded a second degree?

[SnowCurl]

I would like to go back to University to study a course for a vocational profession. Not Medicine or Dentistry but an Allied Health Profession. I am aware I may be able to apply for a student loan for tuition fees now that this is no longer NHS funded. However, I also have to cover childcare and mortgage. I'm just wondering if anyone has managed this and how they have funded it without assistance from family (this is not an option for me). Xxx

When I was a student midwife we still got bursaries and I know they are soon replacing those with loans but I'm pretty sure you can still claim tax credits and they ignore the student finance so you basically get the maximum tax credits for your family

I would also be interested to know. I would like to re-train to be an Occupational therapist but have no idea how to fund it. We are not eligible for any tax credits and wouldn't be even without my wages but still couldn't afford to live and I have no idea how i would fund the course fees. I did a degree back in 1994 .

A friend of mine is doing a second degree and she has taken out a bank loan to fund it. Is this an option for you?

Babyroobs NHS Bursaries for pre- registration courses like occupational therapy, physiotherapy etc will still be in place for 2017...though the year after that, I'm not so sure.

Honestly? I couldn't have done it without my dh being on a good wage. I pay up front. Unis can also charge second degree students a higher rate - more than £9k per year, but as I qualify for DSA my fees are capped at the standard rate.

I saved up to do a postgrad course (fees, childcare and living expenses). It was hard work but worth it and salary tripled as soon as I went back to work fortunately so was worth the scrimping.

Spent a couple of years working abroad in a v low tax country. DH also has a great job. Pay my fees up front. Luckily it's only about 6k in total, so not a huge amount.

Other friends took out loans.

Mysillydog, that's a good point, I hadn't thought about an excess of £9K. Should really contact the University.
I don't think the NHS bursuries will be around 2018 when I was hoping to start off.
Bank loan might be tricky as I earn very little (weekend job and on minimum wage).
Guess I best get saving HereIam thank you for your replies xxx

I was under the impression that you didn't qualify for student loans (both tuition fee loans and maintenance loans) if you were studying for a second degree. I thought funding through student loans was only available if it is your first degree.

If it's a AHP course it is exempt eg you can still get a maintenance loan from 2016 onwards.

I saved up for a year and also worked virtually full time to fund mine, and I had 2 100 day placements. It was hard but doable and worth it.

Six, there are a small number of AHP courses (nursing, midwifery, dietetics etc) which used to be funded by the NHS but this was stopped after this current academic years cohort. In order not to deter people from entering these professions there is an exemption for loans for tuition fees to the second degree rule to allow people the chance to retrain. I wasn't sure whether this applied to maintenance loans too.
The issue I have is deciding between an MSC conversion or going back to the drawing board with a BSc. The University in my city does the BSc but not the MSc. As I have a family, commuting 1.5-2hrs each way to a MSc in another city would be impractical. Moving city is not really an option. Dilemma... Xxx