Job Discussion Forums

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

Hello again guys,

Apologies as I do realise that the PGCE has little to do with TEFL but I think that many people on this board must face the difficulties I am experiencing in applying for a PGCE after TEFL abroad.

I wrote to my LEA regarding funding. I wanted to know if I was eligible for the loan for tuition or any of the grants offered to help with this.
I also was worried about the length of time outside the UK I had spent which to date is only just over 1 year. I gave them details of my job in China (not sure if this was a good idea now) Their response was -

Thank you for the email I received today, and will respond in detail on Thursday
regarding specific student support details, however, you will need to be
resident in the country three years before the start of the course to qualify
for student support and if you qualify you will come under the 06/07 variable
fees rules.

I need to check whether you will be eligible to receive the tuition fee loan as
you have had previous study.

I can't make complete sense of their answer. My interpretation of this is -

I can't get any grants whatsoever to help with the tuition fees unless I work in England for 3 years. After this time it will be in accordance to the 2006/2007 variable which I understand about.

There is a chance I can get the tuition loan but the fact that I studied may pose a problem. I can't understand this as everybody who does the PGCE must have studied before and many must have needed loans.

Does anybody have any ideas as to my position here? I'm worried about UK Home residency status and also I need the tuition loan as I am short of 3 grand at the moment. I don't think my wages here will make that by September! . The LEA of course are only half the battle as I have to claim the bursary of 6 k from the University on top of this.Are they going to start questioning my UK Home residency too?

Many thanks

teacheringreece · Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 79

Have you thought about the Graduate Teacher Programme? If you have teaching experience (TEFL counts) you can apply to the programme and will work in a school getting a normal (ish) teacher's salary, but will do training at the same time, and after a year you have QT-status.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

Yeah I've noticed this . It does seem quite appealing . Does only having QTS and not having the actual award that the PGCE offers hinder one much ? Do I have to worry about how long I stay in China -whether I qualify as a British citizen ?

Cheers for the thought. Smile

keepwalking · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Peru, at last

Maybe the rules have changed, but back in the old days of 1998, I applied for a place on a PGCE course when I was working abroad. I was advised by a very nice person at my LEA to put a UK address on the form and send it in - I used my mum's address and had no probs. That was with Staffordshire, from what I hear it varies from county to county. Are you on the electoral role in the UK? If so, and you have been for the last three years, use that as proof of residency. It worked for me.

TeacherTim · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Deep undercover

Hi there,

I had exactly the same problem when I was about to come back from a year in Taiwan. I spent a year in Taiwan way back in 2000. The Uni were at first a little nervous about saying defiantely, but it worked out ok. Basically so long as your usual place of residence is the U.K then it should not be a problem, but I can sympathise with your worries as I felt just the same, but trust me, I don't think it will be a problem in the long run.

Good luck

Tim

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

You wrote:

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Hi sheeba

On the outside chance that you haven't seen this already -

the TDA UK website has information on PGCE funding:

http://www.tda.gov.uk/Home/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/pgce.aspx (TDA UK)

Phil_b · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 239 Location: Back in London

Hi,

I've got a couple of follow-up questions to that.... I've just got back from a year working in EFL in Argentina, and I assumed that further study would be out of the question until I'd been working here for 3 years.....

However, I should still have been on the electoral register at my parents house and I have correspondence (bank statements, etc.) addressed to md here in the UK... from what I've read that might be enough.

But - I did have to tell the student loan company that I was living in Argentina... is that likely to make it impossible. I don't want to be in a position where I can get done for fraud or anything.

I sort of understand the LEA's point of view... otherwise I could come back, do a subsidised masters and then disappear off abroad again... but I have spent 22 of my 24 years in the UK, so it's a bit harsh to make it difficult for the sake of one year.

keepwalking · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 194 Location: Peru, at last

I was in this same position a while back (okay, 8 years ago but I don�t like admitting to the fact that I had a career for that long!)

I was teaching in Croatia, having also complewted contracts in Italy and Poland that had kept me out of the UK for just over two years. However, I had a bank account in the UK and was on the electoral register and so just used my mum's address to apply. I also looked into using other relatives' addresses because different LEA's have different rules so I searched around, found out which one offered the most favourable deal and then 'lived' there! As it happens, that was where my mum lived and they were incredibly helpful.

Things may have changed, but I would get on the net, look at several Lea's where you could legitimately claim some kind of residence, and then apply as if you were and have always been in the UK.

Good luck