Imagine paying thousands of pounds for something that you could get for free? It sounds a bit like a scam or possibly something illegal doesn’t it? However, every year thousands of students pay fees to study for a degree when they could have earned one without paying any fees at all. It may sound too good to be true, but by getting a sponsored degree you will be able to study for your qualification while someone else pays, often with a guaranteed job at the end of it too! This information may make you think that you’d be crazy to pay university fees at all, and also wonder why you hadn’t heard of this before? In fact, you may have all sorts of questions, so we have answered a few likely ones, below:
Sadly, sponsored degrees are not as well promoted as a possible route as they could be. It’s pretty hard to understand why, as they sound like a very viable option for many students, especially with the cost of a university education (and the ensuing debts) set to keep rising. Perhaps it is a lack of knowledge among some teachers, for example? If they took a university route through education (especially if it was before tuition fees), then why would they necessarily know of an alternative route, after all they may not have had to think about paying for their degrees!
While the idea of getting someone to pay for you to go to university may sound like a dream, a sponsored degree isn’t quite that simple. You will need to be studying a specific subject or course, which will have a direct benefit for your ‘sponsor.’ So, most obviously, a company may pay for you to get a degree in business or IT – which will give you skills that they can use in their workplace.
Your sponsor will see paying for your degree as an investment. They are quite literally paying for you to gain the skills and knowledge that they feel will be useful to their business or organisation. As a result you will usually be expected to take up employment with them once your course is over, while many will expect you to work between your studies. While this can require some dedication and focus, the benefits of having a job lined up, gaining work experience, and not paying fees are all obvious! Although you won’t be tied to your sponsor company forever, there may be some level of agreement that you have to meet regarding a term of employment. It is understandable that an organisation isn’t going to want to pay for your degree only to see you go to work for the competition!
A sponsored degree isn’t for everyone, and while there are a growing number of opportunities, you will not find that every degree course is sponsored. The courses will need to be directly useful enough for the sponsor to pay your fees, and so will generally be in fields like business, accounting, or even law. You will need to apply for the sponsored degree and competition can be tough for popular opportunities. It might also help if you have a clear idea of what you want to do before looking for a sponsored degree, although paradoxically, it could also be said that if you just want ‘a degree’ then one that is tied to a real-world employer is as good a start as any.
It is possible to get a degree without having to pay the fees yourself, so long as you can prove that it is worth someone paying for you. It’s all about investment, which includes in your future….
