Case studies: Institutional funding: Rhiannon Bevan

Rhiannon Bevan is studying for an MSc in Environmental Biology: Conservation and Resource Management at Swansea University. After weighing up her funding options she decided to look into bursaries offered by the university

My MSc is designed to train the next generation of wildlife conservationists, ecologists and biologists and is an incredibly exciting course to be on.

I decided to study at postgraduate level during my second year as an undergraduate at Swansea University. At the time I was studying English and creative writing but, after becoming involved with the Conservation Society on campus, I realised that my true vocational passion lay within wildlife conservation. Armed with practical experience but no formal qualifications in this area, I decided that studying for a Masters degree at Swansea would be the best way to take my career forward.

However, money was an issue for me. I was working part time to meet the bills, but I only had a small amount of money saved up and undergraduate study had already left me with a student loan to repay. I really didn't want to add to that debt by taking out a Professional and Career Development Loan (PCDL) or burden my parents with funding my studies. I therefore decided to look at what options were available at the university. After speaking to the Money Advice Office, I was advised that there were two bursaries I may be eligible for: the Masters Scholarship, which paid almost two-thirds of a student's course fees, and the Alumni Bursary, which paid the course fees in full. The application process was simple, but I knew that competition would be fierce for these awards. I also worried that applying to study for a completely different subject area might put me at a particular disadvantage, but decided to give it a go anyway.

A few months later I got an email stating that I had been successful in my application for the Alumni Bursary, and I would be getting my fees paid in full. This was an incredible weight off my shoulders and just goes to show that it's always worth applying for bursaries and scholarships.

Without the funding, I was in two minds about whether I could afford to study that year, and was reluctantly considering taking a few years out of academia to work and save. I feel that having the bursary has made life far less stressful, as I'm not constantly thinking about money and how I am going to pay back my fees.

There are so many great things about studying at postgraduate level. The lectures are cerebral and engaging, you meet loads of people who are interested in and are passionate about the same things you are, and you have a chance to make a real difference to the field through research. Cons? Honestly there aren't many. The workload does get heavy at times, but I find that because I enjoy the subject I don't really mind. When it all does get a bit too much, my friends on the course are always there to help me let off steam.