The AAT Bursary has got me one step closer to running my own practice

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AAT Level 4 student and Bursary recipient Charlie Miller, 42, took to accountancy “like a duck to water” when he began studying for an AAT qualification in 2020.

Since then, he has been awarded distinctions in both Level 2 and Level 3.

It’s an exciting new beginning for Miller, who left school early with no qualifications after moving home at the age of 15 and was later bedridden for years after developing a complicated connective tissue disorder.

And now, thanks to the AAT Bursary scheme, he’s well on his way to accomplishing his dream of running his own accountancy firm.

A tough start

“I left school at the age of 15 because I found it hard to fit in after moving from Glasgow to Darlington. That didn’t stop me working my way up to make a good living in telesales, but then one day I started to get joint pain in my wrists and hands.

Over time, the pain spread to my chest and just kept getting worse and worse, until I was bedridden and unable to work. Doctors struggled to diagnose my condition, and I also suffered lots of side effects from the medications they put me on – I was really very ill for about 10 years.

My wife Jane also gave up her job to become my full-time carer, so our financial position changed dramatically during that time. It forced me to re-evaluate my life completely, but as I learned to live with my condition and accept the lifestyle changes it forced me to make, I realised it was an opportunity to do what I really wanted to do.

So I went back to college to do my English and Maths GCSEs, and once I recognised that numbers were more my thing I applied to join the AAT Level 2 course at the same time.

Getting accepted onto the bursary scheme

I’m really grateful to my AAT Level 2 tutor for allowing me to study the course while I was doing my GCSEs, rather than having to wait for my results before starting Level 2. I was walking with a stick at that point, but going back to college really helped me to build my confidence back up.

I also started volunteering as a treasurer for a charity – DACYM – as soon as I started studying with AAT, both to gain experience in the field and to give something back to my local community.

I used student loans to finance my studies until Level 3, but when I found out about the AAT Bursary I applied on the day applications opened for the 2021-22 edition of the scheme.

I was quite surprised to be accepted, but it’s been a great help throughout my Level 4 course, even though I now have a part-time job with a local retail group called LD Mountain Centre.

Building blocks for the future

In the future, I think I’d like to go on to study for my ACCA qualifications. I’m always worried about my illness flaring up again, so it’s reassuring to think I could work for myself as an accountant.

In fact, the ability to go self-employed and have your own firm is one of the reasons I chose accountancy.

But I’m also keen to get more on-the-job experience, perhaps by working on a more full-time basis for a while after I’ve finished Level 4. Either way, I’m now excited about the opportunities available to me.

About the AAT Bursary

AAT is committed to improving social mobility within accountancy, which is why it offers annual bursaries to financially disadvantaged students like Miller.

The scheme is open to UK residents aged 16 or over, and includes the entire range of AAT qualifications for the entry level Access qualification all the way to the highest AAT qualification, the Professional Diploma in Accounting at Level 4.

For those accepted, it covers all the costs involved in taking the relevant qualification, from the training provider’s fees to the textbooks required – up to a maximum of £5,000 per student.

“Being awarded the Bursary has helped me to reduce my debts, especially as I have relied on student loans to fund my studies so far,” said Miller, who now lives near Newcastle.

“I’m very grateful and my advice to other students considering applying would be to go for it – you have nothing to lose!”

AAT Bursary scheme

You can read more about apply for the AAT Bursary and the eligibility requirements via the AAT website.

Further reading:

Jessica Bown is an award-winning freelance journalist and editor.

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