Finance your studies, student loans. Part 2

Finance your studies, student loans: "Contact employers, professional associations and your local careers guidance service to make sure the course you are doing is recognised and relevant to what you want to do.

Once you've established that you're on the right track, work out approximately how much the course is likely to cost. You probably won't be able to come up with an exact figure, as the cost of living will change and you may take longer than anticipated to complete parts of the course, or decide to study additional modules as you go.

Then look at your income and outgoings. Will you have to cut back on the number of hours you work to make time for your studies? Do you have a partner who can take over some of the responsibilities? Make a list of outgoings and income and get a realistic picture of how much extra cash you need to fund your studies."