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Original poster

Thinking of going back to college - is there any finacial help we can get?

47 replies

Dandansmummy · 07/06/2016 19:34

Hi everyone, I am new to this so please bear with me!

The long and sort of my question/worry is that I am wanting to go back to college in September to complete a 1 year Support in Teaching and Learning Certificate Level 3, my current employer (a secondary school where I am the receptionist) will not support me in this so I will have to had my notice in so I can have time to go out on placement and find a part-time job. The college will not know what the time table is until we start in September so I cant arrange a part-time job before then as i dont know when I will be able to work. Me and my husband got married this last August, and we are in the process of buying our house, he works full time bringing in approx 18k, my son will start nursey 5 mornings a week in September but will be with a childminder if i have to be at work. I am worried that there will at least be a few months where I am out of work while i am studying, and was wondering if anyone else had been in a similar situation? If so is there any thing we can claim for while I am studying to relieve some of the financial strain? I am doubting whether i will even be able to go back to college as the situation looks so dire, but it is what i want to do and have a passion for, on top of that if i stay where i am/ in the same kind of role i am going to be earning the same money forever, where as for the sake of a 1 year course and some hardship i could be on a lucrutive career path! I hope this makes sense and there is some one out there who can offer some advice, it would be much appreciated! xxx

OP posts:
bloodyteenagers · 08/06/2016 20:06

I am also wondering what has been added to the course. I did this several years
Ago through the wma I think it was. It was only a few months. X amount
Of hours in a placement I found and some study. I was still able to work more than part
Time.

justjuanmorebeer · 08/06/2016 20:07

I just did a few hours in the evenings, not a heavy workload at all.

justjuanmorebeer · 08/06/2016 20:09

Also if you are a union member at work (hope you are) you can apply to their learning funds for up to a £300 grant towards study costs. I got it last year from UNISON

Original poster
Dandansmummy · 08/06/2016 20:23

bloodyteenagers - there are alot of behaviour support roles where i am, i have been short listed for 2 positions but lost out at the last hurdle due to lack of qualification not experience, behaviour workers dont seem to need teaching experience, infact i am seeing a move away from teachers providing pastoral/behaviour support around my area. I am really worried about taking this chance and I understand times are diffiult financially for schools, however it takes more than teachers to run a school and teachers are at breaking point as it is.

justjuanmorebeer - i am not asking my employer to pay for it but i would need at least 1 day out of my current role to be classroom based on placement and they will not allow this, nor will they allow me to go part time so i can go on placement at another school and to college. i looked at distance learning but i dont know if that would work for me, i would still need at least a day on placement, and at home i have a 3 y/o to look after as well as the house (my husband is lazy and doesnt help with the house work/cooking dinner etc) so i was thinking that if i actually had at attend college i would be out of the house so my husband would have to help with our son and the housework, which would allow me to do my work??? I live in Leeds x

OP posts:
OP posts:
bloodyteenagers · 08/06/2016 20:48

do you have math and English at a gcse c of better. Ot the equivalent?

Original poster
Dandansmummy · 08/06/2016 20:50

bloodyteenagers - yea i have 10 GCSE A-C including maths and english - i have a History degree aswell.

OP posts:
bloodyteenagers · 08/06/2016 20:54

Ok then have a look at the shorter course.
The one you are looking at also does math and English hence its a year. The
One you linked a criteria is gcse d.

Have a look at this one. Maybe
With a 12 week release your current
Place will be more on board..

titchy · 08/06/2016 21:01

OP is a graduate so I assume she has English and maths!

I still can't help thinking the Level 3 is too low. Is there a post grad course you could do? Youth work or play therapy at Beckett?

NameChange30 · 08/06/2016 21:35

"at home i have a 3 y/o to look after as well as the house (my husband is lazy and doesnt help with the house work/cooking dinner etc) so i was thinking that if i actually had at attend college i would be out of the house so my husband would have to help with our son and the housework, which would allow me to do my work"

I know you posted for advice about finances while studying, but this is rather worrying. Your husband should be doing his share of childcare and housework (it's his share, not "helping"!). Whether you're working full time, or studying and working part time, you shouldn't have to do all the childcare and housework as well. Why have you let him get away without doing any of it until now? You need to have a serious conversation with him. You should be a team and that means him pulling his weight.

Original poster
Dandansmummy · 08/06/2016 21:48

I know it's his share but he doesn't par take at all, I've tried talking to him about it and it has no affect on him at all. I've screamed cried tried gentle persuasion it's just doesn't work, I've just accepted that I won't get any help from him and asking usually leads to him losing his temper and that just makes things worse.

There is a whole new conversation right there when I've spoke about it with other people they just tell me to leave because of his bad attitude and I don't want to do that (I love him, I don't know why sometimes because it's like walking on egg shells with him all the time!) . There's not one thing he does to help toward the running of our family, it's exhausting. Hence why I need to get a clear plan about college because I can't rely on him to 'pick up the slack' Blush

OP posts:
justjuanmorebeer · 08/06/2016 21:57

So sorry to hear your employer won't support you in that way, that it so sad.

I am afraid also that if you are a graduate then you will not be able to get a 24+ loan to pay for this.

Just another thing to try, if you go on www.open.ac.uk and look at all the courses in Education and Health and Social Care you may find you fulfil the criteria for one of their 60 credit modules. Five years ago they had one called 'working with children and young people in practice'. Could be good for your cv.

You can definitely keep your job with an OU module, not easy of course but doable. I did a degree with them so happy to answer any questions. It also is not cheap but they do a thing called OUSBA which is where you split the course cost into monthly payments - worth considering. Something like that could give your CV the edge you need to get into a pastoral role.

Original poster
Dandansmummy · 08/06/2016 22:01

I have spoke to college and I I am eligible for the 24+ loan.

I look at open university, don't know if that will be too much for me ATM though...

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 08/06/2016 22:16

"asking usually leads to him losing his temper and that just makes things worse"

"it's like walking on egg shells with him all the time!"

I don't want to derail the thread too much, but these are bad signs.

Does he do anything on this list?

In any case, given his behaviour, I agree that getting this qualification to enable you to get a better job is an excellent idea.

And keep up your friendships and family relationships - you will need their support whether you stay or leave.

NameChange30 · 08/06/2016 22:20

What job(s) were you doing before you had DS, by the way?

Did you do receptionist work before or are you just doing it now because you can fit it around DS and childcare?

Original poster
Dandansmummy · 08/06/2016 22:32

Yea And tbh going after this is the only thing I do for me. I was at uni before this, I got this job because I wanted a foot in the door to a secondary school setting X

Dh doesn't want me to go to college, thinks it's a waste of time and doesn't want me taking a pay cut go part time while i study. I have a supportive family i.e. My mum and dad when it come to doing this course and I have 2 sisters, I don't have any friends which is embarrassing Blush

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 08/06/2016 22:38

I'm not surprised your husband doesn't want you to study. Please do it anyway! I think the 12 week course that bloody suggested would be a good idea. See if your employer will let you keep your job if you do the 12 week course instead of the year-long one. If you need to do placement for 1 day a week, you'd only need 12 days off in total.

I'm glad you have a supportive family - not everyone has that so you're lucky Smile Don't be embarrassed about not having friends, it sounds like you don't have free time what with working full time and doing everything at home. But there's nothing to stop you making friends in future - maybe on your course or in a new job Smile

Maybenot321 · 08/06/2016 23:41

Agree with twitchy…have look at the MA distance learning courses at Beckett, Childhood studies/ play therapy etc, It's modular and you can fit it around your job/ home life. The other course doesn't sound suited to someone with your academic qualifications.

justjuanmorebeer · 09/06/2016 08:19

The level 3 course honestly is very basic. I did that and level 4. Can you see if you can go straight in at level 4?

justjuanmorebeer · 09/06/2016 08:35

I have been thinking more about your situation and I think you should consider possibly doing a more advanced qualification instead of one lower than the one you already hold.

When you did your degree did you take a loan for this from the SLC and if so what year was this taken out? The 24+ loans are now also provided by the SLC and there is a limit on the amount of funding they will provide to each individual.

Up until last year you definitely could not take a 24+ if you were a graduate, this may have changed along with all the other changes to the loan system this year, I will keep looking for you to find a definite answer in print.

A legitimate option for you is to take out one of the new post grad loans that start in Sept to fund a masters level course. You could do this distance and spread over a longer period so that your study commitments would be managable.

You may find just having this on your CV would be enough to secure a new job when they see you are working towards a qual.
You should be able to find out that does not have placement/job role as a condition.

Just throwing ideas around. But I think it is risky to use up a years funding for a level 3 qual when you may have to do higher level training throughout your career.

RedHelenB · 11/06/2016 12:58

I would suggest that with a degree you could get cover supervisor work and then maybe move towards behaviour support. Think a really basic qualification won't help as much as experience tbh.

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