MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Lucky Luke give back his hardship grant?

naturally_2

I don't see that he has any legal obligation to pay it back, and would HOPE that he would spend the £6k he now has in his pocket wisely.

kellyplanet

No he shouldn't. Speaking from someone who has had to have the indgnity of living on £10 per week and applying for a hardship grant. In which they analyse every £ that comes out of your bank account with sceptical eyes . made me feel like an inch tall only to reject me!!! I won on appeal!!! All this time took 3 months! I lost over a stone in weight and had rent arrears.

This money was given with no strings . He should use it wisely though! :T :T :T :T

I am a student nurse too!! Who has to work 12 hour shifts for free and travel 100 miles round trip a day to my placement as I had to move back in with my parents as my long term partner walked out on me.

You never know what a persons circumstances are so never judge a book by its cover.

Smileysunflower

Yes he should, and thank his lucky stars he got his windfall. It might be a wake-up call, and it would help another student. Universities do not have a bottomless pit of money

Smileysunflower

kellyplanet wrote: »

I am a student nurse too!! Who has to work 12 hour shifts for free and travel 100 miles round trip a day to my placement as I had to move back in with my parents as my long term partner walked out on me.

I too have been a student nurse. You don't work 12 hour shifts "for free", this is part of your training to enter a profession. If you are following the diploma course, you are awarded a non-refundable tax-free bursary. Your shifts form part of your contract with the institutions. You do not have to pay tuition fees.

Like the vast majority of students, I had to work in second jobs (and I had three children). Yes it's tough but if you are determined, you will manage. Evaluate your outgoings and live within your means. End of story.

dbfisokay

There are a few things here; 1.He was struggling financially 2. He is not a good money manager 3. He relates celebration and gambling and 4. He now has 5 times the amount he was awarded.
Point 1 permits that he be allowed the financial award. Point 2 implies he might benefit from financial counselling. Point 3 implies he might benefit from counselling for gambling problems. Point 4 implies his financial status has now significantly shifted.
Points 1 and 4 are the primary relevant points as they relate to the hardship grant from the limited Uni fund. When he applied he was financially “struggling horribly” and was awarded accordingly. Hence the application and award were valid (if the application answered all questions honestly). The conditions of the award will dictate whether or not he returns it i.e. was it conditional that; if or when his financial status alters the award ought to be returned? Or was it a standalone award? If so no legal or moral obligation is upon him to return the award. However, as a charitable gesture; he might either return all or part of the award in order to extend the limited Uni fund in order that others might benefit.
Points 3&4 are arguably personal matters, however if these are the primary reasons for him achieving a status in which he is “struggling horribly” then there is a moral obligation upon him to address them. Failure to do so is impacting on his and others welfare. It is most certainly a moral lack if he fails to do that; however we too must be charitable. Financial prowess and freedom from gambling problems are not automatic rights; but often mental health related issues. Hence the core question in all of this is what degree of charity is required; Both to oneself and to others?
A good guide to our charitable natures will be found in our emotional response to this solution.

Ashabumbleb

Well, personally I don't think he should give it back. Many students are hard up, I applied for the grant last year and didn't get it, because my travel expenses to and from uni, which is 2 hours away from where I live were not taken into consideration, because it wasn't travel to a placement......I moved home after Christmas when both my house mates moved out, and had the rent costs as well as the travel costs to pay. I'm living back in halls this year, but I still travel home EVERY week, because I can't stand the city in which I currently live!

Universities now charge over £3,000 a year, and some of us "lucky ones" pay that for 4 hours a week tuition (personally I'd rather have 30 hours tuition for that, and yes, it is classed as full-time).....we will all leave with a life of debt, albeit student loan debt not being "real debt", but the whole thing is a very unfair system, and if you can get something out of it, financially or otherwise, no matter what the circumstances, then keep it.......

Maybe it does reflect society at the moment, but not a lot comes for free....you just have to be in the right place at the right time, and in the case of lucky Luke, he was....twice!!

PIXIEBUM

i would keep the money but spend it wisely and maybe as a thank you to the man in the sky go do something charitable at christmas.

if it wasn't for the loan he wouldn't have won the money so like i always say everything happens for a reason.

gozaimasu

He is not under any legal or moral obligation to give it back. He was awarded money from the hardship fund because he had a valid application. Just because he won £5000 AFTER he was awarded and given the money does not mean he should have to give it back, although perhaps a charitable gesture towards the university wouldn't go amiss.

Universities routinely phone up graduates and their parents to ask for money, donations to help with projects etc. Perhaps in the future he would be inclined to give something back to the university.

That kind of money gets eaten up really quickly with accommodation and fees and so on. Sooner or later he will be back in the same situation as most other students anyway.

airheadgreg

Universities don't have to offer a hardship grant and when they do, it is for those students who run into actual financial trouble, and not those who can't control their own finances.

I know that several universities such as Lancaster University, off in addition to a hardship fund, a basic loan system where by students who like 'Lucky Luke' who are unable to watch their bank balance can take out a short term loan to tie them over and then they pay it back when they have their finances in order. So if he wins on a scratch card he should consider his good fortune as a sign that he should pay the university back so that students who are caught short through no fault of their own* can then make use of the fund.

*And yes this can happen, with the current financial situation I've seen a student lose their job which they needed to afford their basic foods which are costing more and more of late, and those prices that are 'dropping' are also decreasing the amount you get.

Nuclear1975

Its called a hardship grant, which is there to help people who are facing hardship, he couldnt have been facing that much hardship if he could afford to spend even £1 on a scratchcard, the idea of the hardship grant is to help people who cannot afford their rent, or food etc, not that he goes off and spends it (no matter how little it was). he should return it and use £4000 of his winnings to pay off some debt and the other £1000 to pay for his day to day needs (sensibly).