Michael joined the Royal Marines in May 2010 and served for 10 years, including operational tours of Afghanistan. Sadly, Michael’s career was cut short when he was medically discharged from the Royal Marines due to hearing loss.
Michael knew that he wanted to study to become a Marine Biologist. However, to do that he needed some assistance.
“I got in touch with the RMA to see if I could get help with funding my Access to Higher Education Course in Science and Maths. I needed this course to enable me to reach my final goal, which is to study at University to become a Marine Biologist. I had recently been medically discharged from the Royal Marines (June 2020) and with COVID-19 affecting everyone I found it difficult to find another job. This was compounded by the fact that as my wife is a teacher and therefore a key worker, so during the pandemic I had to be at home to look after our children.
The college course was costing me £2,600. On top of this, with the challenges of COVID-19, many of the lessons had to be done remotely, meaning I needed to purchase a laptop. This was a big worry for me with no job opportunities coming up and having to juggle paying a mortgage/bills and supporting my family of four. “
“The Employment & Education team was amazing from the very first call. They were supportive, attentive and very understanding. Being an ex-marine, asking for assistance is not easy but sometimes you just need to admit to yourself that you need that little extra help. I explained my situation and after filling out a few forms and providing some personal paperwork (outgoing bills etc) the Charity agreed to help me. The RMA took over the payments and paid the rest of the course for me. The stress that took away from my shoulders was amazing, I knew myself and my family wouldn’t struggle to pay our bills and I could put 100% focus into the college course with the aim of being accepted into University.”
“I really could not have done this without the support of the Charity. The help they give families can be life changing. I really don’t think I could have progressed with this career if it was not for the RMA.
Michael has now nearly completed his Access course and has also had his interview for Plymouth University. On the 15th of March 2021 Michael received an offer from Plymouth University to study Marine Biology and Oceanography.
Problem, solution, outcome.
- The problem: A medically discharged Royal Marine unable to follow his dream of becoming a Marine Biologist.
- The solution: The Charity provided funding to help him complete his access to higher education course.
- The outcome: Michael has now been accepted into University to study Marine Biology and Oceanography.