I dont know if they will as I'm due to start in February :( I don't think you are either but I'm confused as I would be starting in 2018? I can just about afford it but it'll be a massive strain and I'll be very frustrated to have JUST missed out on getting the help

I've applied (and been accepted) into a PhD starting this February (2018). As I knew the loans would come in in 2018, I assumed I'd be able to apply for one but it seems like the applications for PhD student finance don't open until March 2018. Does anyone know if this means I can still apply? Or how I can apply?

thank you! I'm more hoping to go into educational psychology, and I haven't really spoken to many people on that course. I've had one lecturer say I wouldn't get onto that course without a distinction, whilst others have said the grade wouldn't matter.

Hey, I've just received my final masters grade and I'm quite disappointed as I got a 68%, so very close to a distinction but not quite. I had a lot of issues in my first term where I wasn't given any support for my learning difficulties and anxiety, due to a lack of staffing and the staff who did offer support were rude, patronising and were not knowledgeable about my difficulties at all (one told me I shouldn't be working with Dyslexic students, despite not being dyslexic). Also, none of my work was marked with my reasonable adjustments taken into account. After contacting a lawyer and panicking my university a lot, they agreed to mark all my future assessments using constructive marking and that the markers would be aware of my difficulties. I also contact student finance about my DSA, and moved my support from my university to an independent tutor (who was miles better). Since then, my grades went from passes to distinctions and I was hoping I'd be able to scrape a distinction overall but no such luck. I've spoken to an Equality expert to see if I have any case to get my first term's work re-marked with my adjustments in place, but I'm not expecting much from it. Is it likely that the grade is going to impair me much in the future?

Ideally, I want to study a doctorate or PhD but I've heard that they only accept distinction level candidates now. Does anyone know what my options are?