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following on from the dada thread, i started looking at dada possibilities for schools in london (master p is only y10 and plans to stay at school for A levels, so i'm just having a look around)

i noticed urdang, performers and mountview do degrees in musical theatre or similar as well as diplomas

it struck me that these could be a better financial bet, as you'd be guaranteed loans (with no paying back as long as our offspring remain seriously imppoverished actors ) - but otoh, they would probably have to be paid back at some point - and is a dada actually a grant?

and that's before you start looking at which is actually the best course of study

anyone else had a look at this - i'd appreciate thouht from those who have already done research befor i get in deeper. thanks

I do know that the Dance and Drama Awards are currently under review, so things may change in any case.

When I received a DaDA this covered most of the cost of the course and was paid directly to the school. Due to low income, the remainder of the cost was covered by a Hardship Grant (not a loan) and I also received a grant towards living costs. I could not get a student loan. Although the grant was very, very useful and I was extremely grateful to have received it, it did not cover all my living costs. I took out a Career Development loan to top it up. This obviously needs careful consideration as it has to be paid back fairly quickly - think you can spread it over a maximum of 5 years (but you have to pay it back whether you are earning or not).

Hope that helps. As I say, the whole scheme is still under review as far as I'm aware so this information probably isn't the best thing to base any decisions on!

Th eone advantage i thought a degree had was that if my DDs plans fail, then she could always do a PGCE course. Of course, I hope that never happens, but seems a fall back plan to me.

I believe that the diploma courses are often the equivalent of degrees on the National Qualifications Framework, so would possibly be suitable for going on to do a PGCE. ? (For example, I know that the Oxford one year course was level 5 and the three year course is level 6 -equivalent to an bachelors honours degree). I think the individual schools would be happy to advise - the information is often in the prospectus.

I am not sure about this - always thought it was just degrees (Post Graduate) but it is worth checking that out.

yes - that's an intersting thought - master p already does a bit of amateur teaching - it would suit him

also, we have had a couple of actors on supply at school whilst 'resting'

BTW there are MT degrees in GSA, Laines, Arts Ed as well as the ones you mentioned.

Welsh Mum wrote:BTW there are MT degrees in GSA, Laines, Arts Ed as well as the ones you mentioned.

those are the places offering degrees he could commute or drive to - there are others in that category offering diploma only - as we live in n london, it seems financially reckless to look outside of such areas unless we absolutely have to

Both degree and diploma are awards conferred on to a person on the successful completion of an educational course. However, there are several differences between both the terms and cannot be used interchangeably.

The tenure of a degree course can be around 3-4 years based on the geographical location while one can complete a diploma within 1-2 years. A degree is generally conferred to a person by an accredited or recognized university whereas a diploma can be conferred to a person by any private educational or vocational institution or polytechnic.

Also, the focus and aims of both the degree course and diploma course are different. A degree course emphasizes significance on academics. The curriculum is so structured that the person undergoing the course is provided overview of several subjects apart from one subject that the person may interested in exploring further for both career and academic interests. Typically, that one subject is called a “major” or “specialization” whereas other subjects are called minors or electives. For instance, if one is interested in pursuing a degree in accounting, the course will involve several other subjects that may come in use for a career in accounting such as mathematics, statistics, business etiquette and commercial law.