Hi, I think I’m just looking for help, support and advice also to connect with others. I’m a mature post grad. I’m not sure if making the right decision. I’m currently on UC & pip disability benefits so low income and perhaps studies will affect it. I’m trying to apply to LSBU as like the location and as an alumni will get a discount. They also offer a computer with lots of legal info on there but not getting a response. Part of me thinks it’s not meant to be. I will double check how to apply and see if I can get to an open day.
I will need help and support as have health & disability issues and so nervous about travelling & studying again. I’m outside of London but am worried about the cost of travelling in & may need pt cheap place to stay or just come back. I will need a post grad loan as well not sure how easy to get it. Hope I can pay tuition & live off it but probs not possible.
I’ve just seen the Open University offer a course and aware of University of law offer an online MA conversion will apply as well but obviously may be more.
Any help, advice, support appreciated. Good luck yourselves

Hi Nathalie,

Unfortunately cost is probably one of the biggest barriers in pursuing postgraduate education and I can empathise with your situation. I'm also disabled (but not on PIP) and my parents were Universal Credit claimants so I can appreciate how oppressive the issue of tuition fees and maintenance can be. You have demonstrated considerable personal fortitude to get to where you are and you should be proud of yourself.


Generally, when it comes to LLMs, there are two types. There is the so-called "proper" LLM which is just a fully academic degree that is aimed mostly at people who already have undergraduate law degrees (or at least have an adjacent humanities degree like History). The other type of LLM is usually tacked on with either a law conversion degree (GDL/PGDL) or a legal qualification (e.g. LPC/BPTC/SQE) and the primary benefit is that, as you have pointed out, you can get the Master's Loan to fund it.


If you plan to practice (e.g. become a solicitor or a barrister), you're going to have to do both. But you can only secure one Master's Loan (not that that would even be enough anyways to cover maintenance), so if you plan to self-fund, you're going to need to find a way to finance at least one of them in full and the other partially.
Taking that into consideration, my advice would be to get someone else to fund your law conversion. The primary way of doing that is simply to secure a training contract. Lots of firms that offer training contracts will pay for your (P)GDL and your LPC/SQE courses, and usually they will offer maintenance payments too. The downside, of course, is the difficulty of securing such a training contract (law firms with big pockets tend to be the only ones that give such TCs so your choice would really just be corporate law or something adjacent to that like IP/IT law or competition law). But if you do get one, that is your legal education essentially sorted, and you get a job with it too.
The issue comes when you don't want to be a solicitor (pupillages are going to be far harder due to the intense competition, but if you have stellar academics or mitigating circumstances then it never hurts to try) or go into practice at all. Scholarships are just difficult to come by at the master's level and I really don't know if there are scholarships for law conversion – but if you are in pursuit of those, good luck with your search.

Personally, I would think very carefully about going to LSBU even if you have an alumni discount. There are ways of getting law conversion without paying a penny and I think you should at least consider those options and exhausting them before considering self-funding, which isn't necessary per se.

[Edited by Selective Memory on Mar 30, 2023]

Hi selective memory, Well from what you’ve written you don’t seem to have one. You are very well informed and well versed in LLMs & law courses. I am impressed. On a student site i was asked what has universal credit got to do with law? So thank you for being complîmentary. I’m on UC and disability because I am approaching retirement. I have studied and worked a lot in the past. I didn’t mention I have a 2:2, bilingual law interpreting diploma and post grad cert & another course. The reason I wish to study is because law affects everything and I’ve had a lot of cases but could not get legal representation as access to justice is hard. I also signed my house away and want to be more aware of laws.  Therefore I wish to train myself but not nec to offer to others. It’s also to feign boredom & keep those grey cells working.  I’m reading law books amongst other things & watching legal series & films which I quite enjoy. A close friend who studied with the uni of law gave me her books. We will see. Still no response from LSBU & need to follow up elsewhere. Once again thanks for taking the time to give such a thorough, informative response. I wish you all the best with your endeavours. Best wishes N