Pro-Sumer to DSLR~Study?

SnapHappy

I bought my first camera, a fuji s7000 at christmas and have enjoyed using it. I seem to have got the bug and I am considering doing some part time study in digital photography with a possible view to turning this hobby into a career.
With the course costing £500 I am unsure whether to sell the s7000 and upgrade to a digital SLR or to spend the few hundred that I have spare on a decent tripod and some useful accessories for the s7000.
If I upgrade to the SLR I will only be able to afford a starter kit D50/350D type and nothing more.

What are the immediate benefits of having a DSLR over a pro-sumer like the s7000? And should I wait, learn more and wring what I can out of the s7000 and upgrade at a later stage?

Another possibility........
Is it worth buying a normal SLR and learning the old way and will any lenses be forward compatible into digital?

And if anyone in the UK knows of any courses that I should perhaps take a look at, please let me know. Currently deciding on the Open College of the Arts which is home study earning points towards a degree. (OCA-UK.com) Has anyone any experience of these?

MrBook2

When to make the jump...
I recently took the plunge and went from my Sony F717 to a Nikon D70.

I think the best answer that I have seen to this sort of question is that you should change equipment when your current set up is holding you back. Don't upgrade just to get something newer or "better". Are you a better photographer than your equipment will allow you to be? Do you need the flexibility that comes with interchangable lenses? Do you need faster burst mode shooting? Do you need better noise performance, or faster focusing? A DSLR will give you the most flexibility, but it does come at a cost, both in money and it time. It can take a while to get used to working with a new camera.

It is a tough decision and there is no right answer. Good luck.

--Aaron