found at www.graysinn.org.uk/scholarships. All enquiries should be sent to scholarships@ graysinn.org.uk or via the online form at www.graysinn.org.uk/contact#Education. College access funds College access funds are available to postgraduate students at universities and publicly funded colleges, mainly to provide additional assistance to meet living costs. The funds are available at the discretion of your college and are intended for those who are experiencing particular difficulties in meeting their living costs. Students should contact the student support department of their institution for further details. Loans Some high-street banks offer specialised loans for those wishing to study for professional qualifications. However, there does seem to be an increasing unwillingness to lend to students, with most of the major banks withdrawing their loan schemes over the past few years. The University of Law offers loans to its master’s, LPC and BPTC students, via the Student Loans Company, for up to £10,906. BPP offers its scheme Future Finance Loans. In the last couple of years the government has extended its student loan service to postgraduate study, meaning that it is now possible to get a loan for a master’s degree. If you are studying the LLM or the combined LLM GDL or LLM LPC, you will be able to apply for a government loan. Charities and grant-making trusts Some grant-making trusts and charities may offer financial assistance to those seeking to qualify as a lawyer. The application criteria for these awards vary enormously,
but they are often so specific that eligibility is limited to just a few and only small amounts of money are available. The best place to find a full list of such organisations is in publications such as The Guide to Educational Grants , The Directory of Grant- Making Trusts , The Grants Register , A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need and Charity Choice UK . However, each is expensive to purchase, so try the reference section of your local library.
Reality check: The road to becoming a trainee or pupil is a huge financial investment, with no guarantee of a training contract or pupillage at the end of it. Make sure you’ve got what it takes before committing thousands of pounds to the process.
123 POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
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