I thought it might be helpful to hear from someone who is currently a student on a post graduate Archives and Records Management course.

Speaking to my class mates, funding and finding it is definately a big problem but I am not sure if it is any more difficult for these courses than it is for any others. Underfunding is a probem across all levels and courses in education. The very fact that undergrad education is no longer free indicates that funding at any higher level will be even more scarce.

A few of us  on the course(me included) are Scottish students and benifited from the SAAS funding. This however, only covers the fees and so all of us needed to find aditional living costs.  A few people have career developement loans, a few people have bank loans and a few have used savings. It will definately help Zoe, if you can save some of the money from your years expereience. It is a bit rubbish but in a way you were lucky. I didn't get a paid position so had to vounteer and fit archive experience around part time paid employment which meant that I really had to save. I guess the best thing to do is make compltely sure that you want to work in the sector ( it would be really rotten if you discovered after saving hard then working hard on a course that you really don't want to be an Archivist etc)and then ,to be completely honest, take the hit for the cost of the course and living for a year ( if you can show that you are independant from you parents or really skint, most uni's have an unfortunately entitled "hardship" fund etc that may help with one off payments for small stuff). The other option is to go to the careers service at the uni you did your History degree at. They should have a massive book that contains all sources of funding, caritable and otherwise. It may turn out however, that you just don't hit the right criteria either in gender place of birth etc etc and we are back to just having to apply for a loan or use the savings option. You could also contact the uni you have been accepted onto. My tutors were extreamly helpful at suggesting options and gave me as much help as possible with applications etc.

To set your mind at rest a bit about the earning potential after the course, there seems to be quite a number of jobs opening up at the moment that people who are graduating this year can apply to and the salaries are quite healthy (you are probably getting slightly more than a probationary teacher would for example) and I imagine this will be similar next year.

On the whole, it may be a tight years money wise but then take comfort that you will be qualified and that there should always been a need for qualified records professionals.

K.J Smith

p.s

just ignore the people to tell you to stop "bleating". Someone must have helped them out with information when they were starting out