Shaking the money tree: ways of funding your training

By Caitlin Pike

Training to be a journalist can be prohibitively expensive for
some but if you are looking for ways to pay, bursaries, sponsorship
schemes, internships or interest free loans might be the way.

Perhaps the easiest and fastest way is to apply
for a career development loan. Three banks (Co-operative, Royal Bank of
Scotland and Barclays) provide CDLs. The Government pays the interest
for the time you are studying and for a month after your course ends
(although some banks may extend this period of grace).

You can borrow between £300 and £8,000 and you
can apply for a loan whether you’re planning to study part time, full
time or by distance learning.

But if you would rather avoid debt and have a
penchant for filling in forms, an Arts and Humanities Research Board
award may be for you. The serious sounding ‘professional preparation
master’s scheme’ run by the AHRB offers support for those studying for
post graduate diplomas (PG Dips) or masters programmes either on a full
time or part time basis. There are specific criteria to meet and the
application process is a test in itself. The website www.ahrb.ac.uk
clearly explains the process.

The world of bursaries, scholarships, training schemes and internships is a competitive one but also worth exploring.

The Scott Trust supplies six aspiring journalists
with the cash to do a PG Dip in Newspaper Journalism. The bursaries pay
course fees and give a £4000 grant towards subsistence expenses. The
Guardian also has a one-year salaried training programme for promising
journalists and the Observer runs an internship programme for around
six students (open to both undergraduates, graduates and mature
students).

Trinity Mirror runs comprehensive in-house
training. At the heart of the scheme is the 16-week Editorial
Foundation course run in Newcastle twice a year. Each course caters for
24 trainees, who then join Trinity Mirror titles to complete their
on-the-job training. There is also a Mirror Group graduate scheme (more
details below).

CMPi, publishers of business titles Property
Week, Housing Today and Music Week amongst others run an established
graduate trainee scheme that this year starts in September. The company
also offers bursaries for two students to complete the PG dip magazine
course at City University.

For budding broadcast journalists Sky News is
running its second graduate trainee scheme – the closing date for
applications is 9 May 2005.

The Leach Trust has also recently established a
bursary scheme to help at least two disabled graduates study for
post-graduate journalism courses. The maximum grant available is £5,000.

Many journalism departments also have their own specific bursaries and scholarships, often sponsored by local media.

For example, the department at Cardiff University
has a Real Radio bursary and a Johnston Press award. Putting in a call
to your prospective college in advance and asking the admissions staff
if they offer financial advice could prove fruitful. Your local
education authority may also have information on funding.