Foundation Degree Funding

[Guest]

I'm thinking about doing a foundation degree but the courses in my local area dont fit in with my family committments so I was thinking about trying the OU.

Just wondered if you can get the funding in the same way as for courses at local colleges. I know lots of you are doing it through the OU. I cant afford to do the course if there is no funding. It will have to go on my to do list for later.

 

Thanks

Sally

[Guest]

Hi Sally I'm in the same position as you, so would also be grateful to hear from anyone studying with the OU. I've checked out their website and they do give a number of financial aid options

Dawn

[Sue R]

My local early years team definitely fund the OU course!

 

Sue

[belle06]

Hi

I have just completed FD with OU and got all fully funded you can access funding through the OU if your household income is below £30.000 (check the website on this figure www.open.ac.uk) you can also access funding through local early years and transformation fund. I am now doing my BA Top up through the OU and this has been totally funded through my local early years

[Guest]

That's great news, thanks.

 

Sally

[Deb]

Am currently being getting 95% of my OU course fees funded for the FD, through local SureStart/LEA was through the transformation fund but think it is changing to something else from April. Also in our area you can qualify for an annual bursary (£100 I think) through the same fund and your setting can get funding to pay for staff cover while you attend appropriate level training or from April to cover you while you study up to £500 per year (I think) per person, can have more than one person in a setting.

 

Hope that helps.

[dublinbay]

Here in Leicester the county council are funding the FD through the OU using the Transformation Fund. This fund changes its name for some reason in April , I think ,but money will still be available to train practitioners.

Get in touch with your Early Years team at your LEA and find out if you can first.

Where abouts are you both, Sally and Dawn?

[Guest]

I'm in Worcestershire. I have a friend who is currently studying foundation degree through a local college and she got full funding but I had heard that the funding was going to change. Don't know if that is national or just our area or just a rumour. Wasn't sure if it applies to OU courses.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Sally

[Guest]

I've been in touch with my local early years this morning and the training officer has told me that the transformation fund is being replaced by the Graduate Leader Fund as from April 1st which will not pay for any training at all. Also, because I work in a sessional preschool I do not fit the remit for funding under the Workforce Support Fund. Seems like I've missed the boat.

Will try to find out about funding through OU as others have suggested. Otherwise I will have to forget it for now.

 

Sally

[HappyMaz]

I've been in touch with my local early years this morning and the training officer has told me that the transformation fund is being replaced by the Graduate Leader Fund as from April 1st which will not pay for any training at all. Also, because I work in a sessional preschool I do not fit the remit for funding under the Workforce Support Fund. Seems like I've missed the boat.

That seems a bit shortsighted - with every full day care setting needing an EYP by 2015 you'd have thought they would be falling over themselves to fund people to gain the Foundation Degree.

 

Who did you do your level 3 with Sally - perhaps they might have some good advice? It would be an awful shame to miss out when you are prepared to commit yourself to further study....

 

Maz

[dublinbay]

I agree with you Maz. This is very worrying as the powers that be bang on about us being highly qualified and every time you turn around they move the goalposts in regard to what level we are supposed to be working at and towards. Then they go and stop the funding!!!!!

When I applied for my funding last summer I was told I had to apply for each of the OU courses separately and that there would be ample funding to enable me to do the FD even when the Transformation Fund changed to the Graduate thingy.

This makes me mad, it seems that the postcode lottery applies to this sort of thing as well as health matters.

Feel better now.

Sorry to hear about this Sally - hope you can get sorted with something soon.

As a matter of interest the E123 and E124, the first 2 courses with the OU cost £335 approx each. There are several other courses to complete for the degree - not something most of us can afford ourselves.

[Guest Wolfie]

That's a real shame - as Maz says, you'd think they'd be falling over themselves to fund people through the degree training. I had heard rumours about this graduate leader fund thingy - it's all to do with the government showing that they've taken heed of the findings from the EPPE research I think. Wouldn't you think it would be better to invest in people who are already committed and doing the job?

[HappyMaz]

Wouldn't you think it would be better to invest in people who are already committed and doing the job?

Wolfie - my understanding is that the graduate leader fund is to support groups to develop and 'grow' their own graduate leaders. So therefore groups can apply for funding to support existing staff members to gain their qualifications and then the EYP status, as appropriate.

 

Mind you: if Sally's group is only sessional this might explain why the money isn't forthcoming: perhaps her LEA is concentrating on getting the full day care settings sorted first.

 

Either way, it doesn't seem fair to prevent someone so committed from continuing their learning journey...

 

Maz

 

PS I've just applied for (and been granted) some of the old Transformation Fund money to support two of my ladies to gain their Level 3 on the strength of my gaining the EYP status (or committing to doing so ) because funding exists to improve the level of the whole staff team when they recruit or grow their own graduate leader.....

Edited March 31, 2008 by HappyMaz

[Guest]

The early years training officer isn't happy about it either but they have to apply the rules dictated from above. From what they said, I think you are right Maz they are concentrating on full day care first as the pot isn't bottomless and I suppose they have to prioritise. As the reason for doing the FD is for my own personal development rather than a requirement of my setting, I don't seem to qualifiy. It seems that just wanting to be better at my job for it's own sake isn't enough!! But it is short-sighted because the setting will also benefit from it.

Still, better news from the OU - looks as though I may get full funding through them. I'll know more tomorrow so fingers crossed.

 

Sally

[HappyMaz]

Still, better news from the OU - looks as though I may get full funding through them. I'll know more tomorrow so fingers crossed.

Good for you - I hope it all comes right for you! You will let us know won't you?

 

Maz

[Deb]

Hope you can get funding from the OU, good luck with that.

 

I'm in a sessional group, have had funding from the transformation fund for E123 and E124, does that mean I won't qualify for funding for my next course? It wasn't mentioned when I requested a funding form for my next course last week.

 

So if you work part time in full-day care setting would you qualify for funding?

[Guest]

Hi Deb

I would have thought that if you already being funded you should be ok. Surely they can't pull the plug part way through your course? Full day care seems to be the priority, at least for my LEA but maybe others are different. To be honest, my early years training officer doesn't really know how the new system will work - she suggested I phoned back in June when they may have more idea of what's going on.

 

Sally