NotaPushyMum.Com

Good Evening All!!
I have today started a new job as a Personal Tutor to Music, Music Tech and Performing Arts Students at our local College. I have decided that I need to deliver a focused tutorial to the Performing Arts Students regarding funding the next stage in their search for success i.e. DADA's!! I don't see it as my responsibility to search out courses for them as their specific tutors will do that (however I will make sure I have some info to start them off on their search if needed). I have already looked at various sites such as direct.gov but would appreciate any feedback anyone would like to provide or suggestions or ideas etc etc that would be useful to my students - and their parents!!

Thank you in advance!
Heather
aka Taximom

I think I'd advise any student to make direct contact with each school and/or search each school's website as well as reading the information given by directgov (which I think is very thin and vague).

Also, although I know this isn't very helpful, I'd warn them that "helplines" don't always have all the information and that sometimes they contradict what you may have read elsewhere. When I applied for a DaDA, I rang a helpline to ask about the maintenance/hardship grant and they told me I couldn't get it. They were completely wrong! The school seemed to have the most up-to-date and helpful information and to be the best informed.

A lot of the information about hardship/maintenance grants only seems to be available once you have been awarded the DADA and I couldn't get any hard and fast information about how much I would get in the way of a grant until I had sent in all my information. This makes planning very difficult!

I also had the difficulty of having offers from both schools I'd applied to, one was maintained funding, one was DaDA. I wanted to go the DaDA funded one, but didn't know whether I had been awarded a DaDA at the stage they offered me the place. I rang the school and talked to the Principal and although he said it was "very likely" I'd be awarded a DADA, it still wasn't definite. I explained to him that I couldn't accept the place without. It still took a couple more weeks for them to make up their minds and in the meantime, the other school was asking me to make up my mind about THEIR offer. It was very difficult!

I suspect there's going to be quite a bit of re-adjustment going on. If the system stays the same as when I went to drama school, then DaDAs currently look like a very good financial deal in comparison to Uni fees. My guess (and that's all it is) is that they will be adjusted to match. I spoke to the Exec director at Oxford a few weeks ago and they were very happy that they knew that DaDAs were going to continue ( at least for now) but at that stage they were still waiting for details to be worked out.

One thing I think should be pointed out is that living costs will still have to met. If you receive a DaDa you cannot have a studentloan to cover these costs, which can be substantial if the colege is in London?South east.

And now the potential disturbing news that DADAs have been scrapped from 2012:( Highly worrying, lets hope there is further information that gives better news.