An increasing number of students are funding their PhD or master’s studies by running their own businessesWith debt levels soaring, UK students are finding ever-more inventive ways of funding their study. The latest generation of postgraduates is more likely to be starting a small business than setting out on a gap year.University of East London business psychology master’s student Brayley Pearce, 43, funds his full-time study from his consultancy, KoolHeads. “I didn’t want any student debt. I thought ‘if I can’t self-fund, I shouldn’t be doing it’,” says Pearce.Before setting up his company, Pearce studied for an International Coaching Federation qualification and has built up a lucrative, executive-level client list. “My hours of study allow me to be quite flexible.
I can earn £250 for an afternoon’s leadership coaching. I see three to four clients a week, and the business entirely funds my degree.”Doctoral students, in particular, have the need to self-fund. With no Research Council grant, Durham University literature PhD student Naomi Carle supplements her university teaching with private tutoring.”I added my profile to the website personal-tutors.co.uk. I get quite a lot of introductions and I tutor in A-level history, English literature and key skills in English and maths at key stage 2. A lot of my friends are teachers, so I’ve no shortage of resources or advice!”Launch padA PhD is also a good launch pad for a business. Researching a doctorate in tropical marine biology at York University, Steve Rocliffe, 33, also runs Squeeezy Lemon (squeeezylemon.com), a web-design and infographics company. “After I left university, I worked as a media analyst for Thomson Reuters and realised there was a demand for people who could combine research and design. I was analysing huge tables of raw data for key stories and eye-catching graphics.”As a doctoral student, Rocliffe is allowed to earn £7,500 on
top of his Research Council funding and remain exempt from income tax. But self funding remains the exception for international students. Strict visa rules restrict the number of hours they can work.”The majority of our well-heeled international cohort have no need to earn money on the side,” says Jon Pike, director of postgraduate programmes at University of Westminster Business School – but, he adds, there are some natural entrepreneurs among them.”I have an international business and management student from Kazakhstan who has set up a company called Easy Pay Kiosks, by which students can top up their
rent or mobile phones as an alternative to going online.”Work/life-writing balanceMegan Thomas, 25, is doing a full-time MA in creative and life writing at Goldsmiths, University of London”I set up a PR agency, Full Fat, with three other people.
We’re going into our second year, foot down hard on the pedal.”Full
Fat looks after some of the biggest music festivals in the UK and Europe, such as Parklife in Manchester and Hideout in Croatia. I’m in Goldsmiths every Wednesday afternoon and study at weekends and evenings around my day job.””The MA and the agency were happening at the same time and I thought ‘OK, I’m going to have to make this work’. With good time management, it’s
do-able.”Zoe Adjonyoh, 35, is in the second year of a part-time MA in creative and life writing at Goldsmiths”I wanted writing to be my main focus, but I needed to cover the rent and tuition fees. Developing the pop-up restaurant, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen (ZGK) just made sense.”It grew from a food stall I ran at the 2010 Hackney Wicked Arts Festival. Favourite dishes to cook include red red (slow-cooked black-eyed beans in palm oil) and peanut-butter stew with lamb.”ZGK has been phenomenally successful and I’m getting lots of offers to cater for events. My days are quite full-on, but the flexibility is great.” SHStudentsPostgraduatesStudent financeStephen Hoareguardian.co.uk
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More Feeds Discounts on rugs, floor samples, lighting and more. President Obama’s cabinet choices on environment and energy reflect his middle-path approach to governing. Mix together a couple of big oil refiners, an arch-conservative oil tycoon, “green tech” venture capitalists, a former secretary of state and California’s far-reaching climate legislation, and stir.
Can you guess the personalities of the people who own and love these T-shirts? Surfing the Internet is often cited as a cause of sedentary living.
But what if the Web could be transformed into a tool to help boost physical