Student: 'I was made redundant'

Published on Sunday 5 September 2010 18:04

Matthew McPherson from Edinburgh is entering his last year of a sociology degree, but believes his final grade will suffer due to work commitments and financial pressures.

The 21-year-old gets a full bursary and a student loan, yet says he is still struggling to get by and has been forced to take on commercial debt.

The University of Edinburgh student said: "I got made redundant from my term-time job in February, and have applied for over 20 summer jobs but I'm either under-qualified for jobs relevant to my degree or over-qualified for your usual summer jobs."

Mr McPherson has been forced to borrow money from his family, apply for a credit card, and use his 1,600 overdraft facility. It is a set of circumstances, he says, which is impacting on his studies.

"I'm really worried that my finances could impact on my education as I go into my final year with dissertations and final exams," he said.