Part Time?

[Ovid ex ponto]

So today was the deadline to hear back about a big - and competitive - funding opportunity. I haven't heard anything so I think I didn't make it. Sigh! 

But on the other hand, I have an acceptance from my dream school with no funding attached. There are some other competitions coming up that I'm in the running for, but nothing that will cover the entirety of full-time tuition. I'm Canadian and trying to go to UCL in London, and because of our terrible economy I can't afford the full-time tuition without funding. 

However, I could probably gather together enough outside funding sources for the part-time tuition. I was accepted for full-time, but do you think they'd allow me to do one year part-time and then upgrade later when I can re-apply to the big funding opportunities? There are also more grants available to students already working on their PhDs. But I don't know if a) they would let me change my offer from full-time to part-time, or b ) if that's smart or just going to hinder my progress. 

Any thoughts at all are welcome, thanks!!!

[rising_star]

I wouldn't move to London without funding. If you don't get funding, then the program isn't ready to invest in you. Your specific questions can probably only be answered by the department/school in question.

[TakeruK]

Here are some kind of disjointed thoughts, so I'll just list them:

1. It's really common for competitive funding opportunities to be slow in sending out decisions, so the lack of a decision today does not mean very much. Unlike other things, usually funding opportunities send out all of their decisions at once, both positive and negative.

2. Part-time studies might not be possible as an international student. I would check to make sure that's allowed first! As a Canadian in the US, I must maintain full time student status at all times, but I am not sure about the UK.

3. Maybe this part is field dependent, but part-time PhD programs are not very respected in my field. Usually strong programs will not allow their students to be part time. Almost all of the good opportunities (both funding ones while in grad schools and jobs after graduation) are meant for full time students. But maybe this is a difference in field!

[pterosaur]

Would the school even allow you to do a part time PhD? And I'm not sure about the visa as well. I'm currently studying in the UK, and my visa requires me to be a full-time student (though it does allow for 20 hours per week working during term time and 40 per week out of terms.) Also, the funding situation for foreign students in graduate school is very grim. And London is very expensive - both overseas tuition and cost of living. I definitely would not start a PhD with the hope of getting funding once you start.

[Ovid ex ponto]

Thanks everyone for the advice! You're probably right, it is not the best idea, if even possible. I'm looking into some other options now.