Thanx everyone for the advice. Yeah at the end of the day it's what I really want so just gotta go for it!

Okay I really regret starting this thread lol. I initially wanted to ask how likely I am to receive funding, I was incredibly stressed and upset at the time and was under the impression it was incredibly tough to get a PhD.
I certainly am not looking for a lazy excuse why I can't do a PhD - in fact the entire opposite! I was scared that I couldn't achieve my long term goal all
because of money. I was clueless about the whole postgrad thing and came on here looking for help... I didn't expect to have to deal with people jumping down
my throat.

I have since researched into the area and feel more comfortable although I am still quite worried I won't get help. I keep endlessly googling phrases to do with funding and what my chances are! lol. I just need to relax and have more faith in my ability!

Thank you for all this advice! I guess as a student who will be living at home and has no dependants I should be ok... Fingers crossed!

I agree, it is really frustrating. I don't see why the goverment aren't willing to fund postgrads. At the end of the day it would be all paid back plus interest. Without wanting to get too political I think they like to keep some of us minions on the lower rungs, you know make sure there's always someone there to take out the trash and sweep the streets! lol. What would happen to society if too many people had access to education - Chaos! It is so unfair but what can we do?

Perhaps I was being a little overdramatic witht the whole class thing. Just v. stressed.

Thank you for your response! You don't know how much that has just cheered me up!!! :)
So support is there and is available... I'd just got it into my head that I wouldn't recieve anything at all. I could probably work my bum off for living and travelling expenses, its the tuition fees I'd need covering.

Okay I'm feeling more positive now. I think I've just been reading far too many scarey case studies about students having to quit courses etc.

Hi all,

I am currently in my final year of my English BA and I absolutley love it. I am on course for graudating with a first and am being readily encouraged to pursue my ambition of becoming a lecturer.
I know I have the passion and drive to follow this path but I have to be realistic. I simply cannot afford it... I have spent the past week trawling endless websites for help and can't seem to get anywhere - next week I will hopefully be able to talk to my tutor. But for now I just want to know how likely is it to actually get funding for MAs and PhDs??
I have noticed a few scholarhsips but what is the likelihood, I'm guessing very very slim! Also is it realisitc to expect to recieve help from the AHRC? All in all I would be facing 4 years of tuition fees. Obviously I will work weekend jobs and even night jobs if neessary. But seriously, can a person from a low income family really reach this goal?

Any advice and help would be great - I seem to have spent the last week either crying or nursing a headache. I have never really had money stop me from doing anything, I'm realising just how much the upper classes are privileged. Why should they be more entitiled to an education than the rest of us?

Arrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhh

Thanks for any help
A stressed and upset Vicky xx