Can you get a degree for free?

WITH the cost of university once again causing national headlines once again, we spoke to the editor or teen magazine, Future Mag to find out whether you could get actually get a degree for free.

Ruth Sparkes said:- "English undergraduates pay up to ₤9,250 in yearly tuition fees. Depressing enough but worse still new graduates in England face average debt levels of more than a 3rd of the average mortgage, according to research from The Money Charity. It says graduates will owe at least ₤41,000 when they start repaying their maintenance and tuition loans.  1 cheaper alternative is to do your degree at a further education college, these generally cost around ₤6000 a year."

But, is there another way to get a degree - for free? Here are 5 ways, says Ruth of doing just that....

1. Crowdfunding...

Crowdfunding means you are relying on the generosity of others, be they family, friends or absolute strangers to pay your fees. This radical route seems to be most successful if you have a fabulous back story, ask for smaller sums of money and offer something tangible in return. 1 crowd funding student's campaign Send Brian to Oxford has already raided over ₤17,000!

2. Find a company who will pay for your degree...

Not as far fetched as it might seem; such degrees are sometimes called sponsored degrees.

A new degree developed by The University of Chichester and Peter Symonds College, in Winchester, has produced a BA (Hons) in Insurance. The academics worked with Be Wiser Insurance to create the UK's 1st degree in Insurance.

Schemes vary, but this particular programme offers undergraduates a salary of around ₤20,000 a year and covers tuition fees. Students are offered a management level job on graduation.

3. Study abroad...

Brexit might mean this option is not available for the full 3 years, but currently there are opportunities to study free (or very low cost) in:- Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Greece and more. Why not visit:- TopUniversities.Com for more information?

4. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships...

These are quite new and similar to sponsored degrees. Many universities are working in collaboration with businesses to offer such apprenticeships – covering all sorts of roles and industries. Early adopters include Airbus, Morrisons and Barclays.

London South Bank University has over 20 to choose from.

5. A full fee scholarship...

Such scholarships do exist, but they're a bit like an albino tiger…rare. A couple of examples include those offered by Newcastle University and London's Goldsmiths university.

In previous year Goldsmiths had 10 full tuition fee waivers; worth ₤27,000 each, for Lewisham's brightest talent, covering fees for 3 years. The Scholarship Hub, is a free online database of over 3,000 scholarships and bursaries.

People with Type 2 diabetes encouraged to educate themselves

WITH around 7,500 people living with diabetes in Southport and Formby, Lancashire Care NHS  Foundation Trust's diabetes team is calling on people to educate themselves on how to best manage their condition.

People with diabetes in the area are eligible to attend free education programmes designed to help them do this. Lancashire Care provides 2 programmes:- "Diabetes and You" for people who have been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and "Diabetes and More" for people who have been living with the condition for more than a year.

Lucy Haworth, Dietetic and Diabetes Education Team Lead at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, said:- "There is a staggering number of people living with diabetes and the numbers are estimated to increase. In the UK alone there are some 3.5 million people diagnosed with the condition and a further 1.1 million who have the condition, but do not know it. Ensuring that members of the public living with diabetes know how to successfully manage their condition is our priority and attending our sessions empowers people to be in control of their diabetes. These sessions not only teach you how to manage diabetes but they're also great ways of meeting people and getting moral support as you quickly learn you're not alone. It's important that anyone living with the condition knows there is free and helpful education out there."

The sessions are informal, friendly and last approximately 2 hours with short breaks. They are held in a variety of locations across Southport and Formby with timings throughout the day, evenings and weekends.

To find out more, speak to your GP, practice nurse or health care professional and request a referral. Alternatively, contact the Diabetes Education Team on:- 01704 387271 or send them an email.

For general advice on any form of diabetes, call the Diabetes UK Helpline on:- 0345 123 2399 or visit:- Diabetes.Org.UK.