For those of you complaining about funding her through your taxes a) she will presumably soon be paying taxes herself, and b) try moaning about the people doing nowt with their lives living in free (council) houses off the state - now that's a waste of our taxes...

...Good luck Gemma!

Becky, Leek,

Firstly, Gemma is a masters student - you get no funding at all for that, Also, students pay tuition fees and have to repay their student loans and pay tax like everyone else.

Secondly, university is education for education's sake, not job training so all students then get professional training.

Poppy, Toronto,

40% of youngsters in Higher Education right now, 50% wanted by the government. The path through GCSE's and A Levels seems to have no real 'testing' of what drives a person, what employment would satisfy them.

Gemma found what she really wanted to do. It's never too late to realise.

Tim, York, England

The £100k quoted feels simplistic, as do the comments about tax. We are a free country where we have collectively chosen to fund education, and not just as a one-way street into a city job. Long may it stay that way.

Liam, London, UK

Universities aren't funded by tax money.

Stop being so self-righteous!

Simon, London,

I think by 'turn down' they mean she would have had the opportunity to earn that amount, not that she had it there on a plate and said 'no thankyou'. Also...how can you complain about paying taxes for someone to do what they want and be good at it? you're also paying taxes for all the low lives!!!

Katy, Chelmsford,

Studying to become an actuary is a notoriously difficult path - there are only around 5,000 qualified actuaries in the UK, and a high proportion of students end up pursuing a different career. Also, plasterers are performing a public service and are therefore of high value to society.

Hannah, London, UK

We don't all get it right at uni. I wa pushed into going to university by parents and school, and studied furniture making for my degree, and i'm now a nanny. Good luck to her - I wish her all the best.

Taylor, Paignton,

Jim, london, uk

Numerical degrees pay very well. Finance jobs pay the best. Especially when you include the bonus. If people realised this it would get more people doing maths, engineering and science degrees.

Good on her for doing what her heart says and not what her peers think she should.

Andy, Guildford, UK

Fair play to her!

Floss, Birmingham,

Once she starts earning as a plasterer, she will be repaying her degree costs just as if she was in a job using her degree. Maybe she felt she had to prove she could get that first class degree. I doubt careers advisors encouraged her to consider plastering at school!

Diana, Derby,

Just in response to CP (Wales) and W J Morrison; how many people actually go into careers that are directly relevant to thier graduate course. To suggest that the 'Tax payer' should have a say in or feel put out by a personal career choice is ludicrous.

Simon, London, UK

In response to CP in Cardiff:
Presumably if she succeeds in her job she will eventually pay for her education through taxes too.

Cath, Dublin, Ireland

What a waste of tax payers money, how much has it cost us (the British taxpayer) to fund her 3 or 4 years in college for her to then just decide that she fancies doing another course. She has stopped someone more deserving having an education. PS - I am a graduate and I pay for my education in tax.

CP, Cardiff, Wales

The rise of the creative class. Watch out for Essex...the upcoming creative hub of UK.

Mo, Essex, UK

I wish her well. Her work will hopefully be there in 100 years. The paper she may have pushed certainly won't.

Xena Light, oxford,

100K - I don't think so. A qualified actuary might earn that, but in general technical jobs, with the exception of medicine, are not well paid. Take a look in the jobs section at the back of New Scientist - the salaries are pitiful.

Jim, london, uk

It takes a number of exams to qualify as an actuary after graduating, and then only the very top percentage will pass. There is no way someone could walk out of university and into the job. Ms McCoyd would be training for several years before she could dream of earning anything like £100k.

C.G., London,

How much did her education cost the taxpayer.I hope she becomes the best plasterer ever-she will certainly be the most expensive.

W.J.Morrison, Hong Kong,

Good for her. There is something intrinsically pleasing about creating (or re-creating) something.

Tina, Dusseldorf, Germany

100k for a 24 year old Msc maths graduate straight out of college? I think not!

James, London, United Kingdom