To set up a crowd fund to pay for my post graduate degree?

[Spiceupyourlife1989]

I don’t have the funds to pay it and am currently living on a low income, topped up by universal credit.
I know the post grad loans are £11,500 or thereabouts, but that’s to pay for course fees AND to live on without help, I won’t be able to do it. I want to improve my job prospects, specifically for my toddler son, who I don’t want to end up going without, particularly when he starts school.

You can get other better paid jobs which utilise play therapy rather than being a therapist itself

I.e mentoring, well-being support, family support worker, hospital play worker comes up a lot and you just need experience and a level 3 in childcare. They would all give you experience of supporting children emotionally one a 1-1 basis.

Important to note that having a degree doesn’t necessarily give you a job unless it’s very specific such as social work, nursing, teaching. You do need to broaden your experience and try other jobs aswell not just going straight away into what you want to do.

I have to agree with the majority here! YABU. I’d quite like to do a masters in educational
Psychology but don’t have the money and I’m still paying off my student loan. I wouldn’t expect anyone to help me either

Do open university like anyone else who cannot afford to go to a bricks and mortar university course. Not sure how your son will 'go without' if you don't go to university, very few people I know in high paying jobs have degrees of any sort.

Have you actually seen the cost of OU??

@Supergirl1958

I have to agree with the majority here! YABU. I’d quite like to do a masters in educational Psychology but don’t have the money and I’m still paying off my student loan. I wouldn’t expect anyone to help me either

EP training is a Doctorate now.

Have not read the whole thread but you can claim benefits and do a post grad if you have a young child. I cant remember the exact maths but they will take 30% of your loan into account - divide this by the length of course (say ten months) - they will then deduct a further £110 per month off that amount for things like travel/books etc. Your issue maybe childcare though - but I should imagine that most of your course will be independent study. There maybe bursaries or even scholarships available at the uni of your choice. So your dream maybe possible without crowdfunding! Good luck!

Sorry but why should people give a crap about what your child goes without? Follow your dream when your child is grown like a lot of other people have to and you should be able to fund it yourself by doing 2 jobs. There are people crowd funding for life or death medical treatment etc. Accept that now is not your time

And if you studied sociology you will know exactly why all the negative comments are occurring. Sociology sure as hell teaches you about patterns of change/attitudes in society!!

@mel71

And if you studied sociology you will know exactly why all the negative comments are occurring. Sociology sure as hell teaches you about patterns of change/attitudes in society!!

We all know why the negative comments are occurring 🙄

YABU! I'd think it was incredibly cheeky if I saw someone I knew doing that. Some people might be stupid/rich enough to contribute though. A post grad degree is not something you ever NEED to work. It might help you progress further and faster but you don't need it.

I’ve read all your updates and I still think YABU. You don’t need a degree in play therapy to be a play therapist. There’s also no guarantee that you’ll find a job as a play therapist (I bet it’s popular and competitive). I don’t think it’s worth the money.

Is the £11k you’ve been offered a maintenance loan, or is that in total including the £9,250 tuition fee?

Sometimes a post grad actually might limit your employability. You may be deemed over qualified or ‘permanant student’ sort who doesn’t know a hard days work. I would suggest getting experience would be better.

@MurielSpriggs

I don't see how it can possibly be unreasonable, no matter what your circumstances. If people don't want to pay they won't.

This ^

I’ve read your replies above and can see that you’re not going to crowdfund which is fair enough, but I do think some people on here have been a bit harsh.
Whilst I wouldn’t donate to something like this personally, I wouldn’t begrudge someone trying it, I mean who really cares that you’re asking for help to further your career?
As long as you explain the circumstances, have a good plan of action for afterwards and don’t lie, then where is the harm?

YANBU but i wouldn't contribute if one of my friends did this, sorry.

YABU nothings given to you in life, baso just fancy begging

PLAY THERAPY? What on earth is that? Just a cushy job which sounds good but is like counselling. No real substance. I wouldn't contribute to any crowdfunding situation no matter what but yours is an especially CF request.

I self-funded my PhD. I am still paying for it five years later, and I'm not working in the area I studied in. People at my uni were seriously shocked that I self-funded. Can't imagine what they'd think about crowd-funding, but who gives a F...if people will support you. Maybe asking personally would get you further though? My parents helped by guaranteeing loans, low rent at their house etc. I hope you have some support like that. Others might well think it's CFery. I wouldn't donate personally.

I also worked full time, and it was achingly hard. I so wish I could have lived on campus etc. But PhDs are hard, that's the point. And life goes on while you try to better it.

As others have said, don't be fooled that an MA or PhD or anything else in fact will get you the opportunities you want. I have a friend who did an MA specifically to make contacts in her industry. Still not doing what she wanted to. My work won prizes; not being paid for it!

I don't regret taking help, or working my butt off in a shit job. I'm proud of going for what I wanted to do for so long, and I love that I'm DR Surfergrl (don't dare call me Ms.!).

I don't have kids, but I sure couldn't imagine putting in postgrad hours with one.

Just some random thoughts. I hope it helps. If you haven't read Dr Inger Mewburn's postgrad blog, have a look. Real postgrad stories/issues are great.

YANBU to set it up, but I suspect you won't get many donations

I've crowdfunded for stuff I couldn't otherwise afford and needed for work/life.

Morally - should you/shouldn't you - thats entirely for your conscience to deal with. I didn't like asking for help but then I think few people do, ultimately, no one HAS to contribute!

Practically - do you know enough people to market this to, to show it to, to get it actually seen by folk who can donate.

Because harsh as this is, unless there is some spectacularly juicy story to amuse the media OR you have a LOT of contacts.. you won't succeed.

I had a lot of contacts, who recognised I had 'put in' a lot over the years and so were happy to contribute - but I am talking thousands of people, not 10s or 100's and I would say perhaps 5% actually donated (I purposely do not know who did or who did not).

I am also certain some folk thought 'cheeky bitch' - such is life really, I can live with that!

@LoisLane66

PLAY THERAPY? What on earth is that? Just a cushy job which sounds good but is like counselling. No real substance. I wouldn't contribute to any crowdfunding situation no matter what but yours is an especially CF request.

I think it's a valid therapy for children who have difficulties verbalising trauma but could do it through toys. It's been around for years and i imagine is common in the NHS and the NHS will only fund evidenced based practice. Art and music therapies are similar ways of providing therapy.

@LoisLane66

PLAY THERAPY? What on earth is that? Just a cushy job which sounds good but is like counselling. No real substance. I wouldn't contribute to any crowdfunding situation no matter what but yours is an especially CF request.

I think that's pretty ignorant to be honest @LoisLane66. I wouldn't contribute to a crowd funding request for this either, but that doesn't mean that play therapy doesn't have an important contribution to make. And I wouldn't personally say that working with traumatised children is particularly cushy either.

It’s unreasonable because I’m sure most students would struggle to do a masters. Some students leave uni over 40k in debt, or have had to work around their studies, sometimes using childcare as well.
Sooo my point is what makes the OP so special that they think someone else should be responsible for their funding. ?

@Spiceupyourlife1989

I’m definitely not going to go down the crowdfunding route now. I’m thinking I can do the post grad part time and hopefully then work at the same time - part time, to help me fund it, I wonder if UC will still help us out temporarily while I’m studying.

UC isn’t great for students. Any money available to you via student services is taken off any UC, whether you actually take it or not. This also applies to loans which I think is unfair as you have to pay it back and miss out on the UC amounts too !!

In this case, crowd funding = begging bowl. Do it by all means. No one can stop you and some people might even be daft enough to donate. You sound like one of my relatives by marriage: I need X, now who can pay for it/ buy me one/ give me one?