The beauty of being a professional photographer is that, unlike a lawyer, teacher or electrician, no formal qualifications are required. Provided you have the right equipment, the basic skills and knowledge to be successful, it’s a job anyone can do.
Many photographers are self-employed and for those who are employed, often their portfolio and skillset is deemed more worthy than a piece of paper with a qualification. However, there are many benefits that come from studying photography, ranging from broadening your knowledge and widening your understanding to re-routing yourself down a career avenue you hadn’t considered.
Studying costs money though – so before you enrol on a photography course, you need to be sure you have the funds or access to borrow the money and the ability to repay it later. If you undertake a course such as a Bachelor’s degree, the fees alone cost £9,250 for a year (usually a three-year course) – aMaster’s degree costs around £11,300.
If you have never received a student loan before you will be entitled to one whatever your age. However, if you are over 60, you can still qualify for a tuition fee loan, but you may get limited funding when it comes to maintenance loans. Find out
