Career Development Loan

Tonytank

Tonytank

Tonytank

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Joined
4 Sep 2006
Posts
514
I have just applied to do a masters at my local art college to help me develop my work i did from my degree i did (in which i achieved a first).

Obviously a big issue is money because as far as i am aware im not applicable for a normal student loan. A friend of mine has mentioned a CDL (career development loan) that can help me with course fees and general expenses.

Ive obviously done the normal stuff (google etc) but i am wondering if anybody here has expeirience of these loans?

Or indeed does anyone have any good advice on additional funds for the people doing masters?

Cheers in advance :)
 
I looked into them a few years ago and just think of them as a normal loan that you only start repaying after you graduate/finish the "development". However I think they still charge interest on the money while you study?

WRT funding have a check with the college to see if they can offer any scholarships or funding for you and also start looking round for any outside funding. There is apparently quite a lot, especially if you aren't white (possibly male) from a reasonable background ie. there are a lot of ptos you can dip into if you are an ethnic minority, disabled, single parent, from a poor background etc. The difficulty is finding them and tbh I don't think there will be a huge number in the arts area, especially at this late stage.

I'm in a similar situation to you, i've been accepted onto a masters course but i'm now waiting to hear whether I have full funding from them. Luckily an internal funding is handled automatically by the college/uni where i've appled to. If I don't get it I won't be going...

Probably just told you to suck eggs but some info may be useful to you. :)
 
Amp34 said:
I'm in a similar situation to you, i've been accepted onto a masters course but i'm now waiting to hear whether I have full funding from them. Luckily an internal funding is handled automatically by the college/uni where i've appled to. If I don't get it I won't be going...

Probably just told you to suck eggs but some info may be useful to you. :)
Click to expand...

What and where are you looking at doing?
 
Petroleum Geoscience at Royal Holloway.

Just need to wait for the funding decisions as to whether I can go or not... Very frustrating waiting seeing as I have another two options (jobs/travel) that are also touch and go depending on a few things!
 
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Ah, I've heard good/nice things about RH.

Going to give this graduate programme thing another push - I might get lucky - and see where I am in come autumn I think.

I've been seriously considering doing the PGCE route lately; many, many people keep telling me I'll make an awesome teacher but I'm just not sure it's for me... yet. I'd like to be out doing things before being locked back into a classroom. That said though, I'd very much enjoy being back in the throes of being a student once more, so I'm always up for a masters or science/technical job. I just wish someone would give me a chance!

Worst case scenario I guess: being stuck in this horrible existence for another year or two and save up the funds for a post-grad myself, by which time I'll be pushing 26/27 and still not got off the starting-blocks. It's a horrible consideration. ****ing banks. :(

Sorry OP, didn't mean to diverge. A CDL is something I've been considering too, but I'm not sure I really want the extra debt just yet, especially considering I may still fail to find good employment upon graduation.
 
It seems a nice little college (only has around 5000 students) and part of the uni of London, although not actually in London which is a plus. The course is pretty well regarded too, with something like two thirds of the students coming from overseas (most paid for by their companies), and the main building is stunning!

I have a few friends that are doing/did PGCEs (one dropped out) and the problem with it at the moment is everyone and their mother is going for it due to the graduate job market, (moreso than masters courses). I think certain teachers are still wanted, such as a few of the sciences and maths, but it appears there is no guarantee that you'll get a teaching job at the end of it... I'm not sure about the student lifestyle either, it definately wouldn't be like your time at undergrad, they seem to work damn hard, something i've been thinking about with this masters, you'd probably have an easier year working... :p Definately an option to try though (although it may be a bit late this year?) as you can always turn it down if something else comes up!

That ticking time "bomb" is what's getting me too, technically two years behind everyone else.... :(

Way off the original question OP, however it may be of some help with regards to whether the masters will really benefit you, is it worth taking out a CDL to do more study and do you want to study to get the qualification or have the student lifestyle back (I assume you did a full time UG?). :)
 
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Well, i graduated in 2008 with a first in games art and design, specialising in storyboarding and concept art. Ive basically spent the last 2 years working in a very remedial retail job and getting myself very depressed (which i can suffer from very badly from time to time).
I turned 27 a month ago and i want to do something with my life, and i figured a masters would get me back to that level to which ive dropped from.

I have a lot of ideas for digital motion comics and comic books that i want to realise and i think a masters is a good way of doing that whilst achieving a degree enhancment to push myself even further. Student lifestyle isnt something i crave at all, and i certainly wont treat the year like an average student year....to be frank with you i will work my fingers to the bone for a year solid and then when i leave, hopefully hit the ground running....

Of course i cant tell if this is exactly the right thing to do, but i know if i spend another year in the job i have now, ill never change...and that simply cant happen.
 
im currently looking into a cdl for my masters at uni, as I cant get any funding what so ever.

I contacted them and they sent me out an information pack with forms for both barcleys and co-op inside.

Once uni is over (next week) ill read into it more so. So subscribing to this :D
 
You certainly sound like it would help, I'd check how well regarded the course is in your chosen profession however. You don't want to have spent that much and spent a year studying and end up back where you started. :)
 
it would give me a leg into teaching (i can teach while doing it at uni) which is then a guaranteed step into teaching afterwards. (without the pgce, which is only secondary school level afaik)


(spoke to the award tutor and she said they get phone calls asking for people at the end of masters years to go into jobs, so there is potential there)

Which, in this day and age with jobs not so easy to get hold off, is a good option in my opinion.
 
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