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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Veterinary Medicine and funding

23 replies

Shazy123 · 25/02/2017 09:45

My son applied for Vet Med when he was in sixth form but only got one interview and was declined after interview. He had a lot of varied work experience and we also live on a farm. He was very ill during his As and did not get the best grades but did have decent gcse grades. After his As grades he was playing catch up with re takes etc also he was doing 4 A levels and the bacc - it was too much! He did not get the grades he wanted at A level so applied to do Animal Science instead. He went to Uni to do that for a year but was not happy! He had a few options really one was to re sit his A levels or study veterinary abroad. He applied to study veterinary abroad and had to try an access examination. He has nearly finished his first year abroad and is achieving really high grades. The problem we have is FUNDING. To date we have managed to pay his first year of fees etc and have looked into possible scholarships etc but cannot find anything. Some of the other European students get a maintenance grant from their country to live on. This would help tremendously for my son. I feel it's so unfair that he wants to come back to the UK to provide a service but yet there is no help for him! As he wants to come back to the UK to work in the rural parts there is no shortage of jobs for him either. Has anyone got any ideas on possible funding for him. We are on a low income but want to try our best for our childeren. Our advice to someone who doesn't get in to study veterinary in the Uk is to go abroad. My son really likes it and doesn't regret it one bit!

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 25/02/2017 10:08

But presumably only if you have money! I;m on a low income and there is no way I could fund uni fees!

Original poster
Shazy123 · 25/02/2017 14:09

we keep having to ask grandparents for money and also both myself and my husband have taken up other jobs in the evening and weekends after working full time! it's tough going!

OP posts:
2014newme · 26/02/2017 12:42

Your advice is to go abroad even if you can't afford it? The mind boggles!
Could he get a transfer to a UK university that would be my suggestion to explore

mycavitiesareempty · 26/02/2017 12:50

Transfer to a UK uni if possible seems to be one option. However, you'd need to make sure he meets the rules on ordinary residence. Is he currently studying in another EU country? Sounds like he is. In which case he should be eligible for home studen fees there (if they have fees where he is) but may not be eligible for maintenance support.

mycavitiesareempty · 26/02/2017 12:50

He should also be eligible for whatever state support is provided in that EU country toward fees. E.g., loans.

PotteringAlong · 26/02/2017 12:53

How can your advice be to go abroad when you can't afford it?

2014newme · 26/02/2017 12:55

Very bad advice.
Hey kids go abroad! how to oay for it? Who knows! Figure it out when you get there or fleece the grandparents!

mycavitiesareempty · 26/02/2017 16:05

Lets not forget though that while we are still in the EU, son has the right to study in other EU countries on the same basis as nationals of that EU state and access tuition fee support from that state.

It's not wise perhaps, if you have no money to actually live on, but It's not totally bonkers.

Original poster
Shazy123 · 26/02/2017 23:03

It makes complete sense to me. Yes we are finding it hard to make ends meet but he won't have the debt of other students. The tuition and living costs is far less than the UK, and also if you're willing to sacrifice family holidays and days out etc like we have done maybe you could afford it! My question was that, did someone know of any scholarships or financial help available. Thank you for those who have helped with my query.

OP posts:
titchy · 27/02/2017 07:50

Will the course he is on qualify him to work in the U.K.? Many won't.

I don't know of any funding other than the fees he can claim for, and likewise wouldn't have suggested this as a sensible way forward.

And although he may not have debt that's because you and his grandparents are footing the bill which you all could have done had he remained in the U.K. (He'll have a debt from the first year he did here though won't he?)

teta · 27/02/2017 11:49

Is there no way of him getting a part-time job?I know the Vet. Courses are highly intensive in the U.K. but some students still manage to work.If You're in a rural area can he get some paid farm and agricultural work in the holidays?
Alternatively can he apply for a student bank account in the U.K. With an overdraft facility?Or you can apply for a loan and ask him to pay you back over time.
Alternatively could your son take a gap year to earn some money and the resume the course?
There will be absolutely no chance of a in-course transfer from overseas to the uk unfortunately.There is no standard course for any Vet School.
I do appreciate its hard but my eldest is currently applying for vet.medicine and will be devestated if lack of money stopped her from carrying on.
Good luck and I hope you can sort something out.

Sologirl1982 · 02/03/2017 10:53

Can he take out a Career Development Loan?

I took the scenic route into veterinary medicine (did Animal Science degree first also) and it cost me over £100,000 to train (in the UK). I was extremely lucky that my father was able to pay my fees. But if he hadn't been then a CDL would have been my next best bet. Good luck!!

Sologirl1982 · 02/03/2017 10:55

Sorry, I misread your post - I thought he'd completed Animal Science and was now doing VM as a second undergrad degree. I don't think CDLs will cover first degrees. Not sure what to suggest! But I wouldn't have thought it would be possible to transfer to a vet school elsewhere. Sorry!

Allthebestnamesareused · 03/03/2017 20:59

Friend's child did her vet degree in Budapest. they are taught in English and the degree is recognised here and she works as a vet.

There were no tuition fees and there was plenty of bar work for students of all nationalities there.

She also found paid work throughout the holidays back here and squirrelled it away so she had that money to support herself through the term time.

Original poster
Shazy123 · 09/03/2017 23:13

thanks for the replies. I was surprised to read that there were no fees in Budapest.. We pay approx 7k fees for my son per year which we get help from parents and some of his savings. His living costs are quite low but it's a lot for us to find every month although we are getting by. He worked all of last summer and he also worked at Christmas. This money pays for flight and very expensive books etc. It all amounts up. He loves it and is doing really well so would highly recommend if you could get by with paying the fees. I still see it unfair that there is no funding for him though.

OP posts:
zizza · 12/03/2017 23:04

I may be misunderstanding but i don't quite get what you think is unfair. My DD is a 4th year vet student and yes, she gets a loan for tuition fees and towards maintenance but doesn't get any grant "given" to her. Her course is too full-on (she plays rugby in the very little spare time she gets) to have a job a we help out with accommodation costs.

Original poster
Shazy123 · 18/03/2017 22:03

She's very lucky to have access to loans to pay her tuition fees, unlike my son. (this is what I find unfair). I think things are changing now with how the maintenance/loans work and there will no longer be any help available if you're on a low income like us. My son would have been eligible for it.

OP posts:
FreeNiki · 18/03/2017 22:08

If your son was that ill he should have withdrawn from his a-levels and gone back the next year. Would've been cheaper than this.

Original poster
Shazy123 · 18/03/2017 22:26

maybe you're right FreeNiki, but it's too late and he's doing extremely well

OP posts:
FreeNiki · 19/03/2017 19:40

It's curious the whole ill thing.

I see it a heck of alot on training contract application forms with people explaining poor alevels and 2:2s.

I was ill.

Ill enough to just miss a 2:1 or A but not ill enough to withdraw. Confused

How ill does that make one.

Original poster
Shazy123 · 20/03/2017 17:51

He had Pneumonia so maybe that qualifies! He had to have a medical to attend University and discovered a heart defect on the ECG. Whether he was born with it or the result of Pneumonia we wont know. He's well now so long may it continue

OP posts:
FreeNiki · 20/03/2017 23:32

That qualified as a withdrawal and resit.

I cant believe he ploughed through. UK unis obviously didn't accept it as extenuating circumstances.

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