If you were to apply for a *part-time* masters

Someone recently told me that part-time students aren't entitled to grants, or they're less likely to get them, something like that.

Can anyone clarify this?

Sorry if this has been asked before - I did a search, can't find anything.

Tom Dunne

I would imagine it's because the implication is that if you are applying for a part-time masters, it is because you have a full time job, and therefore wouldn't be entitled to a grant.

That's how I would read it, anyway.

Tom Dunne

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I would imagine it's because the implication is that if you are applying for a part-time masters, it is because you have a full time job, and therefore wouldn't be entitled to a grant.

That's how I would read it, anyway.

Thanks Tom.

Though let's say the circumstances were a bit different. In my case, I'm jumping into a relatively new field without a conversion course. And doing my course full-time alongside having a reasonable social life would be pretty tough.
So I've been toying with the idea of doing the course part time. (Though I'm only throwing ideas around. I'll probably do the full time course).

So, I wonder is it a hard and fast rule that scholarships won't be given to part-timers?

claire h

MonkeyBalls wrote: »

And doing my course full-time alongside having a reasonable social life would be pretty tough.

I think that's how it's supposed to work, though.

Re: the part-time thing, it does depend on the course, but I'd be really surprised if your circumstances were the kind of thing they were looking for. I've known people to get grants for part-time masters, but they were working in a relevant field at the same time and it was an area the government were encouraging, and even then it was only a reduced-fees deal rather than any kind of maintenance grant.

If there's a scholarship around, as opposed to a grant, I guess it depends on the awarding body's particular rules, but I'd be really surprised to see it going to a part-timer rather than a full-timer.

blucey

MonkeyBalls wrote: »

Thanks Tom.

Though let's say the circumstances were a bit different. In my case, I'm jumping into a relatively new field without a conversion course. And doing my course full-time alongside having a reasonable social life would be pretty tough.
So I've been toying with the idea of doing the course part time. (Though I'm only throwing ideas around. I'll probably do the full time course).

So, I wonder is it a hard and fast rule that scholarships won't be given to part-timers?

right there, where its underlined, in red, italics and in bold. Thats where your problem is.
A solution - dont have a "reasonable social life" if such requires that you cant actually do a fulltime job. At the least dont ask for a bleedin grant to do so.....

claire h

claire h wrote: »

I think that's how it's supposed to work, though.

Particularly for me, though, as I'm going into a new field without a conversion course.

Conversion courses in Ireland are 2 year's long.
Amongst other things, the extra tuition fees would molest me financially, and it'd be very hard to get a decent research proposal put together for a Phd (the application dates are so fckin early).
Then again there's the extra cost of accommodation for staying in the UK part-time.

claire h wrote: »

Re: the part-time thing, it does depend on the course, but I'd be really surprised if your circumstances were the kind of thing they were looking for. I've known people to get grants for part-time masters, but they were working in a relevant field at the same time and it was an area the government were encouraging, and even then it was only a reduced-fees deal rather than any kind of maintenance grant.

If there's a scholarship around, as opposed to a grant, I guess it depends on the awarding body's particular rules, but I'd be really surprised to see it going to a part-timer rather than a full-timer.

I probably should have said scholarship instead of grant. I'm pretty certain I've zero chance of getting a grant. But my degree is 1.1. and I figger I can sell myself fairly well to get a scholarship.

But being "part time" (2 years instead of 1) probably wouldn't help things.


/rambling rant