Veterinary nursing - Further Ed route or degree?

[basilbrush]

I was wondering if anybody had any knowledge experience of their child training to become a vet nurse or someone who has done it themselves?

As far as I can work out there are two options -

1. Do a Level 3 Diploma in Vet Nursing at an FE College at age 16 which takes two or three years
2. Do A levels including Biology at school and then apply to do a Vet Nursing degree which takes three or four years

There seems to a huge difference in the amount of money required to train - uni fees compared with no fees at all for FE!

Is there a big difference in starting salary / job opportunities / career progression for those who choose to go the degree route rather than the diploma route?

Am I right in thinking that to do the diploma you also need to be accepted by a local practice as an apprentice?

Any insight gratefully received!

I would say £30,000 is on the higher end, plenty of job adverts ive seen recently still only £18,000 full time.

@FurAndFeathers The pay is low for degree qualified people. As it’s low, grads won’t pay much grad tax! None at a at £18,000! That’s just a dreadful starting salary and is presumably attracting non degree nurses. No one doing vet nursing as a degree should ever pay the fees up front! Ever.

Reposting this as comprehension seems to be a challenge
it is entirely possible for vet nurses to earn liveable salaries (corporates pay around £30,000) though it definitely isn’t a profession to get rich on

Reposting this as comprehension seems to be a challenge
it is entirely possible for vet nurses to earn liveable salaries (corporates pay around £30,000) though it definitely isn’t a profession to get rich on