Bad day - work study funding

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m studying a Masters degree and a Graduate Diploma as well as working.

My Masters degree is directly related to my job, and was directly related to my past job.

It is 8 subjects, with a cost of $2,010 per subject (total cost $16,080).

In my old job:

• I would pay for a subject (actually I would put it on HELP - Higher Education Loan Program);
• I would pass the subject;
• Work would pay for the subject 100%;
• They would pay for all subjects, but if I left the firm within 12 months of paying for a subject I had to pay them back.

I started my Masters in 2008, and left my old job in December 2008. As such, my old work had only paid for my first semester of study, which I had to pay back.

When I started my new job, I was told they would pay 50% of my remaining subjects. I have four left, so it will cost $8,040 – of which work was going to pay half. Now, I have found out that this may not happen.

I’m annoyed for so many reasons:

• I took approximately a $10,000 pay cut when I came here.
• My study expenses (having to pay back my old job, and my new job only paying 50% of my remaining subjects), was effectively another $12,060 I was losing.
• My new job told me they would pay for it, but it’s not in my contract, which makes me annoyed at myself, because I have a law degree! I know to get everything in writing! I think I was just so happy to be leaving my old job that I didn’t focus too much on the details of my new contract.

So really, there is nothing I can do if my work refuses to pay the $4,010. Quitting in this economy isn’t really an option, and even if I found another job, I doubt they would pay for any study expenses (and even if they did, by the time I started I would only have two subjects left). And at the end of the day I do like my job.

But when I went back to Queensland a few weekends ago, I caught up with some old people from my work, and I realised how much I missed working with them. I miss Queensland, I miss my friends, I miss my Mum. I knew financially I was taking a big hit by taking this job. Pay is less and Sydney is more expensive to live than Queensland.

But one of things I loved about my new job was that they really seemed to appreciate me, whereas in my old job it was very much about how many billable hours I had. Things like this happening (not paying for study when they said they would), reminds me of my old job – and at least they did pay for my study (although it did take a lot of ‘discussions’ to finally get the money out of them).

I hope my current job does end up paying for my study – at the end of the day it’s not the money so much as the principle.