Why is it that going to University Costs so much.

JOBEN

a buget of £80 a week?? we have been trying to work out what money our son will have to go to Uni in September and it seems most of his maintenance loan will go on accomodation (£85 week) books and travel. We hope to give him £30 a week for food but that will be it.

I would be very happy if i thought he had £85 week

MissPop

Before I applied for halls, I wanted the halls with en-suites, but when I saw that they were £147 a week I quickly shelved that idea. When I gave my order of preference for halls, I did them in price order, going from cheapest (£80ish) to most expensive (£147). I got my third choice (out of four) and am paying £96 a week. To be honest, the halls are lovely - warm, great location, and I couldn't give one about not having an en-suite - I only share the bathroom with two other people, so it's not an issue.

The_One_Who

MarzipanFish wrote: »

While it's true that lots of students live in fancy accommodation it's not always just down to them. I remember some new students complaining in the summer that they didn't want and would struggle to afford ensuite/ new accomodation but had been put there because the university's knocked down the cheaper accommodation to try & make more profit. So now there's a huge surplus of £105 a week ensuite rooms (the cheaper and even shared rooms have already been filled up).

I get the impression from parents that 30 years ago it was common to live in university accommodation for the duration of a degree, which many students seem to want the security of now. The difference now is than universities & companies have cottoned onto the fact that students often now get more loan money and want to take as large a share as students will let them and in my experience very cheap accomodation just doesn't exist anymore. I think there's plenty of students who would happily live in rundown bedsits if they were cheap. I'm not trying to say that there aren't very fussy students wanting to live somewhere fancy, but i think there's many more who just don't feel like they have much choice, certainly at this university.

It must change from university to university. The most oversubscribed halls at mine are also the most expensive (and the single-roomed, en suites). The largest halls, where most students end up, are shared bathrooms with tiny rooms.

I don't know why anyone would want to live in university accommodation for the duration of their degree. It is widely known that they are more expensive than private rents in the same area. Even in the west end of Glasgow it's possible to find cheap accommodation, especially if you are happy to walk more than ten minutes. Can get even cheaper accommodation elsewhere and use the savings to get the bus or subway in.

echelon101

I would put forward that university is good value. You spend 3-4 years in an institution where you are being taught a specialist subject of your choice within which you choose specific modules. Obtaining a good grade at the end, with an in demand degree, will mean that any loans outstanding will be paid off within ten to fifteen years.

The investment of a university course at the moment is £3,175 per year, which is cheaper than most public schools and far cheaper than US Universities, which essentially is what a university is. Only now the student has to pay for the living costs, which his/her parents have previously paid.

iamana1ias

echelon101 wrote: »

I would put forward that university is good value. You spend 3-4 years in an institution where you are being taught a specialist subject of your choice within which you choose specific modules. Obtaining a good grade at the end, with an in demand degree, will mean that any loans outstanding will be paid off within ten to fifteen years.

Excluding medicine, science etc, how many useful degrees are there?

MissPop

iamana1ias wrote: »

Excluding medicine, science etc, how many useful degrees are there?

Languages?

poet123

There are lots of useful degrees, many more than you detail, but I will agree there are also very many that are not specifically useful. Although, even those do (or should) enable the student to learn something about themselves, experience independent living, and generally stand on their own two feet earlier than those who do not have the university experience.

iamana1ias

MissPop wrote: »

Languages?

Depends what you do with them.

Not done this girl much good http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2204299

iamana1ias

poet123 wrote: »

There are lots of useful degrees, many more than you detail, but I will agree there are also very many that are not specifically useful. Although, even those do (or should) enable the student to learn something about themselves, experience independent living, and generally stand on their own two feet earlier than those who do not have the university experience.

I completely disagree. The vast majority that I have experienced have paled alongside their counterparts once in the workplace. They often earn more than those that work from 16 or 18 (in my experience) and start work with significant debt.

poet123

iamana1ias wrote: »

I completely disagree. The vast majority that I have experienced have paled alongside their counterparts once in the workplace. They often earn more than those that work from 16 or 18 (in my experience) and start work with significant debt.

Well of course they start work with considerable debt, how else would they fund unversity? but they, and their parents, are investing in their future careers. I am sure they are not as work savvy, how could they be? but they are generally more independent as they have lived away from home and stood on their own two feet whilst doing so.

Do you have a degree?