Wellcome Trust Grant vs. University Funding

[GlitterHoof]

I've been fortunate enough to be offered two options for funding and I need to decide:

 

- Wellcome Trust doctoral funding (Medical Humanities) to be taken up at a Russell Group university

- Full funding from a lesser university (ranking between 80th and 100th in the league tables)

 

What makes this decision difficult is that my fees are at the oversees rate and Wellcome only pays the UK/EU rate. That being said their living stipend and research allowance are higher. Overall to take up the Wellcome offer it would cost me £15,000 out of pocket more total. 

 

Does the funding source and university matter enough in the long run career-wise to justify going into debt?

 

 

 

Also, I've been offered a place at Oxford but haven't been assigned a college yet. I emailed last week and they said they'd 'keep their eye out'. There's no funding for that so I won't be going but I have been holding out just to see where I would have been placed. Has anyone else still not heard?