Week 33. So Close
After years of late nights, countless essays, research proposals, and revisions, I am now on the brink of completing my Master of Laws. This journey has taken me nearly eight years, an undergrad law degree, followed by postgraduate modules, and finally, the dissertation that I am now raising funds to cover.
Every chapter has come with sacrifices: time away from loved ones, financial strain, and the constant balancing act between paying bills and paying fees. Yet here I am, almost at the finish line, driven by conviction, passion, and the hope that my final chapter will make this all worth it.
Why This Stage Is Rare, And Why It Costs So Much
Postgraduate study in the UK is becoming more common, but the numbers remind you just how rare a Master of Laws (LLM) really is. Only around 15 % of UK adults aged 25-64 hold a qualification above an undergraduate degree. (UK Gov, 2025)
Meanwhile, in 2021-22 there were just under 100,000 taught master’s degrees awarded in England and Wales, (Taru Medha, 2025) a tiny fraction of the total degrees given. For many students, textbooks, module fees, living costs, and university fees themselves can add up to tens of thousands of pounds, a burden made heavier with work commitments, family responsibilities, and other financial pressures.
University LLM tuition alone can be substantial. For example, UCL’s LLM. programmes for UK students in 2024-25 charge around £24,700 for full-time study. (UCL, 2024) The University of Manchester is charging about £16,000 for UK students in that same period. (University of Manchester, 2024) These are just the tuition fees, they don’t include the cost of living, books, resources, travel, or the added expense of producing a dissertation. When you put all that together, it becomes clear that completing the LLM. isn’t just academic, it’s an investment, and often a financial leap of faith.
Pursuing this degree has been a journey of both privilege and sacrifice, and while I am now in the final stretch, the financial demands of completing my dissertation remain a significant challenge. To help cover these costs, I have set up a GoFundMe page where I explain more about my journey and what this final stage means to me. Any support, whether through contributions or simply sharing the page, would mean the world and help me take the last step toward achieving my Master of Laws
Go Fund Me page reads as Follows:
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my story.
“I am in the final stage of my Master of Laws (LLM) degree, and the only thing standing between me and completion is the final dissertation module. The cost of this last module is £3,580, due by October 16th, 2025.
This dissertation is the culmination of years of study, sacrifice, and determination. It will allow me to complete independent legal research on an important area of law, develop critical skills, and hopefully open doors to making a meaningful contribution in the legal field.
Like many in the UK, I am feeling the effects of rising bills, inflation, and the weight of student debt. Most of the work I do is for free or donation-based, which has made saving this amount impossible despite my best efforts. I have just managed to pay for one of my final two modules, but I need help to cover this last hurdle.
I come from humble beginnings and have worked tirelessly to get this far. I am so close to the finish line, but I cannot reach it without support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will bring me one step closer to completing my LLM and achieving a goal I have worked towards for years.
Thank you for considering supporting my journey. Every donation helps.”
As I reflect on reaching this stage, I cannot help but think of those who have supported me this far, you know who you are.
Without your encouragement, patience, and belief in me, I would not have come this far. A nickname among friends is Sheldon (from The Big Bang Theory), and in the show’s final episode, when collecting his Nobel Prize, he thanks those who sustained him, supported him and even tolerated him. That moment resonates with me. I know that being close to me has not always been easy, I am driven, determined, and sometimes relentless, but your ongoing, love and support has carried me here.
For that, I am sincerely and forever grateful
References
Office for National Statistics. (2024). Education and training statistics for the UK, Reporting year 2024. Available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-and-training-statistics-for-the-uk/2024
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). (2023). Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22. Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-01-2023/sb265-higher-education-student-statistics/qualifications
University of Manchester. (2024). LLM Law - full details (2026 entry). Available at: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/list/08446/llm-law/all-content/
Taru Medha, 2025. Available at: https://www.findamasters.com/blog/11522/how-common-is-a-masters-degree
