14th April 2009, 10:51 PM
Actually getting student status isn't that easy. I am a part-time student and study at university 6-8 hours a week (plus home study), but I have a job so I am not allowed student status as I can 'afford' in the view of the IfA Affilate status and apparently student status costs them money because sending out a couple of magazines a year costs loads more than the ?20 student fee. In October I will be a full-time masters student but still will work 2 days a week, but then I will be allowed to swap from Affilate to full-time status because I will not be deemed to 'afford'to pay Affilate rates. It is a gob-smacking policy because some of the lovely people I help train to dig over the summer do no more time than me as full-time students and loads of them have jobs. I have been invited to apply for corporate status but currently my main income isn't derived from archaeology and I am dammed if I am going to pay corporate rates on that basis.