Hi all, nice forum you've got here I must say!!!

Anyway, here's the situation - I'm currently in a rubbish job which has made me absolutely determined to NEVER have an office job, or at the very least making money for other people. I'm better than that, and I didn't do a degree to be treated like a tool.

Thankfully, I have made a plan from the start to get out and do something truly worthwhile - primary teaching. I've been helping twice a week at the local primary school (school holidays now :-(), and applied to both a PGCE and GTP (Scitt) at the local uni and provider.

Unfornately, I wasn't able to secure a place on either the PGCE or GTP for this September, so I'm left with having to reapply for 2009.

As I see it, I have three options:

1) Primay school teaching - applying for PGCE/GTP for Sept 2009.
2) Secondary school teaching (English) - applying for PGCE/GTP for Sept 2009
3) Going back to uni - applying for Master course for Oct 2009.

The first 2 are obviously more realistic, have much clearer career prospects, and the training would be paying me. Primary would be prefered, but on reflection I think I need to compromise and adapt to the sectors with better opportunites in teaching.

However, I fear that if I don't get into either, than I really will be left out in the cold - getting a teaching assistant job around this neck of the woods is nigh on impossible it seems, and doing special needs teaching just wouldn't suit me (I know that sounds bad, but I'm only being honest).

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So, option 3 is going back to uni. Initially I'd apply for a Masters, but if I were to go back I would 100% do 'the whole thing' - Masters and then PhD. I think going back a year would be both a waste of time and it would hurt too much to leave so quickly. Also, I'd much much MUCH prefer to do full-time, as I doubt I would be able to commit probably even part-time and working. I wasn't a party animal undergrad, I spent weeks in advance of deadlines doing the work and I feel I'd need that to do it again at a higher level.

Now, I've done some research on going back (I'd be going back to my old uni to continue with linguistics (the local one, I was a homer at ug and would be for pg)) to see what funding was available. To my shock (although I did know there wasn't much funding), apparently my 2.1* holds no water whatsoever in terms of even being considered for a research grant or a university scholarship. I find this incredible considering my background - brought by a single mum on benefits (not out of choice I might add), no other tangible source of income other than my rubbish job. I understand it's based on achievement, but still!

So, should I take it that funding is a no-no from this point on? If it is, than I need to consider loans, so what kind of financial obligation I am looking at - I have never had to take out a loan or even a credit card?! From my scratch working, I think I'd probably need £30,000 over the 4 years (Master + PhD, living at home with parent), is that a good estimation?

Sorry this is rather long-winded, but I wanted to give you the best possible picture of the situation

* At this point I'd like to add that one of the lecturers made it pretty clear to me that she wanted me to stay when she wrote that I'd 'make a great linguist' in my final piece of coursework.

(By the way, I'm not falling into a deep depression, but the message is that I know I can and want to do better for myself).

Okay, if the PhD route is where you intend to go (I have to ask that a PhD is something you really want to do), the most likely route from here is to do a Masters, get a Distinction and try to secure PhD funding on the basis of that distinction. Admittedly this may mean a gap between completing the Masters and commencing the PhD, but you could circumvent this if you're taught module marks arrive sufficiently early during your Masters that you can use them to convince prospective supervisors that you're set for a Distinction. As I'm sure you're aware, funding is highly competitive, so you'll really need to think about the things you can bring to the table that will set you aside from the competition. However, getting to know prospective supervisors prior to the application can be a big help in convincing them to fight for funding for you. Like many things in life, where there's a will, there's a way..

Many banks offer Career Development Loans take a look at this site http://inourhands.lsc.gov.uk/ it might offer some information on funding available to you.

Otherwise go to your bank and talk to one of the student account managers to see how they can help you.

Good luck!