Doing a second degree after 40 and student loan worries

[MeadwayMumofFour]

I have been redundant from a corporate job after 15 years. I have a biology degree and I'm done with corperate global business.

I want to retrain as a speech therapist but I can't get onto a masters as I have a 2:2.

So it would mean going back to uni for four years and paying fees, graduating past 44!

I am not sure if this is just bonkers. It would finically be a stupid move and I would be better off letting my brain frazzle up.

Obviously I wouldn't be working in 30 years from graduation, so how much realistically will I pay back? Will the loan hang over me into retirement? Would it come out from my pension?
I am secretly hoping they drop the threshold for the masters once the NHS funding and bursery stop. I did start another masters in another subject who was ok with my 2:2

I would check whether you'd be accepted onto the masters with a 2:2 the requirements are more flexible for mature students. I don't think you'd be able to get a student loan as you already have a first degree.

No you won't pay anything back once you're 60 so don't worry about that. NHS courses have a loan entitlement regardless of whether you have s degree or not. Also regardless of the amount you borrow the monthly repayments are the same.

Do check whether they'd accept you onto a Masters though - they might with a 2:2 and relevant work experience.

so is there a cut off age for repaying the loan? I thought it was 30 years as most people will be working past 60 nowdays.
If so hopefully that's not changed in the future

If you have a degree already there is no cap on tuition fees and you don't qualify for student finance. The only place to do this with the NHS bursary is in Wales.

Most NHS courses no longer have entitlement to a student loan if you already have a degree. I would contact the MSc providers and see what they suggest- sometimes they will count work experience as a mature student, or may be able to suggest a bridging course. Essentially they want to be sure you will pass well. Many masters courses are not over-subscribed.

Are you sure you can't get on with a 2:2? I also had a 2:2, and went back to University to do a masters in a different field in my mid thirties. I got some relevant volunteer first, and spoke to the course tutors on an open day to ask what they thought so I wouldn't be wasting my time if they said 'no way' and introduced myself, in the hope they might remember my name on the application.

The initial offer was a post graduate diploma, which is where you do the first two terms and if you pass, you upgrade to a full masters. It was a fairly common route, especially for mature students - and there were a fair number of them. I ended up with a Distinction: it was a course I was interested in, whereas my undergraduate degree was not for me, in retrospect.

• volunteer experience

Sorry, my point was - mature students are a good bet for Universities, because they tend to be motivated and more certain the course is right for them before they start, which means they will offer lower entry grades.