MSE News: Open University pulls plug on Tesco-funded degrees

Oldernotwiser

Stryder wrote: »

Not if they already have been to University and retraining - how many times do i have to say! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I appreciate that this is your individual position but you were referring to large numbers of people being affected. I don't think that there are large numbers of people using the OU in this way.

jenny74

olly300 wrote: »

You can't make blanket statements like that as you are not comparing like with like.

OU is part-time study only and "normal" universities are generally full time study.

OU study is not only party time study, if you are doing more than one course at the same time, it is equivalent to full time study. And it occasionally happens that there is an overlap where a person may have 3 courses on the go at once. (Not recommended!)

Oldernotwiser

jenny74 wrote: »

OU study is not only party time study, if you are doing more than one course at the same time, it is equivalent to full time study. And it occasionally happens that there is an overlap where a person may have 3 courses on the go at once. (Not recommended!)

Technically you cannot study full time with the OU but if someone can fit in the equivalent amount of time they might as well study full time at a traditional university and receive the full funding package this offers.

The_One_Who

You can study full-time for a postgraduate qualification with the OU, as far as I know, but it is usually seen as an option more for part-timers with other commitments.

olly300

Stryder wrote: »

Not if they already have been to University and retraining - how many times do i have to say! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Then you, like myself and a few others, have already have the benefit of the UK government pay our tuition fees whether we contributed towards them or not.

Therefore complaining about how badly off you are going to be will not elicit sympathy from many people.

There as the people I've met and worked with who have never done a degree before and chose to do one with the OU get my sympathy for many reasons especially as most of them have to learn how to study effectively whilst looking after children or doing a job.

olly300

The_One_Who wrote: »

You can study full-time for a postgraduate qualification with the OU, as far as I know, but it is usually seen as an option more for part-timers with other commitments.

Tescos vouchers can only be used for Undergraduate courses.

Undergraduate courses at the OU are only part-time how ever many courses you personally decide to do at once.

Stryder

In theory you can study at the OU full time, it just depends how many modules you do. You could do 4 Level 1 units and it would equate to full time, as each course comes with a #hours rating,

Stryder

olly300 wrote: »

Then you, like myself and a few others, have already have the benefit of the UK government pay our tuition fees whether we contributed towards them or not.

Therefore complaining about how badly off you are going to be will not elicit sympathy from many people.

There as the people I've met and worked with who have never done a degree before and chose to do one with the OU get my sympathy for many reasons especially as most of them have to learn how to study effectively whilst looking after children or doing a job.

IF i was working, I would pay. IF I could get work with my existing degree, I would pay. However, with 50-100 people applying to every job I go for, it is not likely that a job is going to land on my lap immediately. So would you rather I stay on JSA, or retrain to move into a different area with more jobs (or less competition!)

I am making the effort and spending my own money to retrain so I will not be on JSA long term. I am sure many people at the moment know what that is like. The fact that my degree will not get me a job is not my fault - but a reflection on the degree subject and the effect on its related industry.

Thankfully I am not after the sympathy of the sort of self righteous people that you include yourself in. I have not really asked for sympathy. I have just been trying to encourage OU/Tesco to make more sympathetic arrangements. I am sure you will complain and huff and puff like a baby dragon, but I lose interest in this pettiness. I am not really sure why you are even bothering commenting in this thread as it does not seem to affect you!

Rather I would encourage people to contact OU/Tesco to press for the scheme to be applied more sympathetically.
1) that May's vouchers will be sent out to students before the deadline
2) that the OU will make sure all courses up to and including Feb 2011 are available for registration in May

Stryder

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I appreciate that this is your individual position but you were referring to large numbers of people being affected. I don't think that there are large numbers of people using the OU in this way.

I think that with unemployment so high, and every sector (especially professional jobs [i.e. people with degrees]) being so badly effected, that more people are probably retraining - more than you would think.

There may also be people who have a degree but are stuck at home with caring responsibilities, who rely on the OU to continue . There are all sorts of reasons why people genuinely found the vouchers essential. Further, there are people looking to study individual modules (like business) to help them start there own business.

There is no other routes to many people in these situations. Reading through the threads there are quite a few MSE's in this position.

Oldernotwiser

Stryder wrote: »

In theory you can study at the OU full time, it just depends how many modules you do. You could do 4 Level 1 units and it would equate to full time, as each course comes with a #hours rating,

Equating to full time is not the same thing as actually being full time. That's why you can't get maintenance loans and grants for studying with the OU, however many units you're doing.