Child wants to do foundation course, no student finance. Options??

[crossstitchingnana]

As per title. We have £3000 in savings. That's it. No idea how anyone, unless rich, can support their child with no student finance. They'll need fees, housing and living costs.

Any tips? Ie can they claim UC? We're obviously looking at a bank loan, alongside the one we already have. Feeling really anxious about it.

I would appreciate any advice you have.

Thank you.

And bluntly, plenty of 18 year olds have their dreams pissed on. Just look at the number who fail to get into medicine.

If it s their deam they can work and save up
Try very junior cruise ship related job?

👍

https://www.allcruisejobs.com/search/Host/

They can then talk to the stage producersxon board find what is needed

They have worked towards this goal since the age of 10. If we can't afford it we can't. Seems incredibly unfair. I know I am biased but they are talented.

Plenty of drama school students start in their 20s, some prefer more mature candidates.

But not talented enough sadly.

Having your dreams pissed on is a rite of passage. Many people, myself included, did not get the grades to go to the Uni I wanted but I went to my third choice, got my qualifications and have had a great career.

many of us also don’t get our dream job, despite meeting all criteria and smashing the interview. That rejection still smarts, but was actually a blessing as the job was awful, and I got a much better one a couple of months later

Plan B is always needed

My daughter hasn't been to drama school yet and currently works in the performing arts. She has had commercials, modelling, a panto, low budget films, loads of unpaid student films. She does theatre in education, medical role play, murder mystery weekends. Finding work is pretty much a full time job, also she couldn't live independently on what she is earning but she isn't paying any university fees or living expenses at the moment She has good A level grades, she is going to keep acting whilst she can and save her student finance funding for now. She might eventually go university for something completely different. Despite having had more professional acting work than anyone she knows, even people who have been to drama school, she didn't get any drama school offers.

I'm leaving this thread as a asked for advice, and I am grateful for the helpful stuff. What I don't know any to get into is whether they are talented enough or if they should not bother.

What I didn't want to get into

What aboput something like this?
https://www.italiaconti.com/ba-acting

Thanks but they already auditioned there.

Anyway, thanks for the helpful stuff. I really do appreciate it but not getting drawn into debates about their talent.

If your child, now a young g adult has dreams, then it is up to them to make them come true. If this needs money they need to earn it themselves. If they can’t get the finance they want, in this case getting on the Uni course and thus getting access to student loans, then they need to find the money themselves. It is not your job as a parent to fund this pipe dream.
it is a pipe dream if they have been repeatedly told they do not have what it takes to get on the courses that offer this.
an accounting course is not going to take a person with no grasp of numbers, or physiotherapy if you can’t be clear about the location of the major limbs, or a car mechanic who can’t put petrol in their own car.

come one, get real and be there when it dawns they are not right for this career

The problem with acting is there are immensely talented people who never make it and mediocre actors who are very successful. Persistence, contacts, luck and sadly access to funds are probably equally as important as pure talent. Getting agents and casting directors to know and like you is a big part of the battle. Being known as professional, always on time, not flaky in anyway goes a long way too.

@crossstitchingnana Hi OP, as soon as I saw the title of the thread I guessed it was performing arts. It might be worth asking MN to move this thread into 'Extra Curricular' or start a new one there, quite a few performing arts-type folks on there who understand the issues.

How old will your dc be this September? Have they auditioned for DaDa funded courses as well as degree ones?

I think in reality students doing unfunded preforming arts foundations either have parents who can afford to support them or get into debt.
My DD is starting a funded foundation in September but when she was auditioning in the various Drama schools it is something the existing students who were spending the day with them mentioned. Some of the students had spent up to 5 years doing foundations and various jobs while auditioning again every year for degrees.

DD only started singing/dancing/acting at 16 so I am hoping that a foundation will enable her to get in to a good drama school. But it she doesn’t I really hope she doesn’t go down the route of trying again every year.

Talent aside, if they can't afford to go, they can't afford to go. Lots of people have to pay for courses themselves and don't go through student finance. If your child is serious, they need to get a job and save up for it. It would be nice if you could afford it, but you can't. You need to teach your child that if they can't afford something, it can't happen unfortunately.

With the notable exception of taxi a lot of posters don’t really know what they are talking about in this area.

I’d advise posting on notapushymum or extra curricular activities.

I’m also happy to DM.

It is very common for it to take several years to get in anywhere. Whether a foundation year is useful depends partly on your finances, the impact on you as a family & the institution offering it.

Everyone at drama school is talented and most of them will never have a career in performing arts.

How about they get a job and do a part time drama course?

How old are they? When I did my foundation course the fees were covered under aged 20. Then I worked. Will they be living at home?

Some unis do it as a year 1 of a degree before you specialise and can get finance. I think.

Ok try this: https://gsauk.org/foundation-certhe-programmes

Will be fully fundable.

Thank you