'Is it time for a graduate tax?' poll discussion

Flybaby

I feel complelled to comment......... purely and simply because at age 33, yesterday I phoned up and paid off the last of my student loans.

I went to university, I did the hard work and I got the degree and I had to pay for it and then I had to pay it back. Simples as the advert says.

I think it highly unlikely I would have gone to university if I were to have paid for it for the rest of my life. I feel after 13 years of paying, I have paid my dues.

Conversely - I would also comment that because I had to take every loan I could, in addition to working 3 or 4 jobs for the whole length of my degree, I worked as hard as I could to get the degree. I saw a lot of people at university who did not have to work and borrow money to be there, and I felt many did not work very hard at it. Perhaps if people felt they would have to pay for the education for the rest of their life, more students may take the education more seriously?

Was it worth it? I am not convinced having a good degree from a good university has ever "got" me a job, but I do feel it has got me many interviews at which I then have the opportunity to display my skills. Having the degree is a very large foot in the door without which I have seen a lot of friends (who quite frankly are clearly more competent and intelligent than I) unable to even get interviews and thus have the opportunity to get good jobs.

What I do strongly believe is that students/young people should be responsible for their own education and not rely on, nor expect their parents or the state, to pay for such things, which I think many people do. In that respect, a student loan system or graduate tax places the responsibility for education firmly in the hands of the person getting the education, not the parents, family, state etc.

ThinkingOfLinking

jackofhearts wrote: »

Although I agree with some of what you are saying, Matchmade, I feel it is a little unfair to criticise current students who, due to the decision of past governments, no longer have access to grants (however modest) and so must work to fund their own studies?

Students today can't win - if they work they are at risk of being accused of neglecting their studies, if they depend on loans to get by they are accused of being 'scroungers' who are contributing to debt-ridden Britain.

Thanks for this post. I literally have no choice but to work. I chose the cheapest accommodation available to me but my student loan only just covers it, I don't smoke or go out clubbing and I rarely buy alcohol or takeaways, so do not lead a frivolous lifestyle at all; I am literally trying to survive, and maybe even save some money towards the MA I want to complete at the end of this degree (I would rather not take a career development loan to meet these costs).

Of course I'd rather not work; I am literally exhausted due to 8 hour days attending my course, then 4-8 hour average shifts at work as well as completing further study/coursework at home and trying to maintain a household and a relationship.

MoneySave_2

If they were to bring in graduate tax then people would have to pay who did not know it was a possibility. They had already decided that the student loan was just about worth it and then after their decision they get a life long tax which they were not warned about. I agree with an earlier post - graduates will just leave England.

hardy-geranium

I didn't go to Uni but my sister and many friends did. These people are now in their 50s and 60s and making decisions that affect today's students. They received grants, housing benefit for accommodation and unemployment benefit during the holidays. It cost them nothing.
I have 3 x daughters who have all worked hard to afford to go to Uni. As well as studying they shoveled chips and pulled pints every weekend and holiday.They continued doing this at Uni to subsidise themselves. They all got degrees. 1 works in health, 1 in the police and the 3rd is still seeking a career but applying to work in a local hotel until she finds one. I AM SO PROUD OF THEM. But, after accommodation, taxes and a very restricted standard of living, they have no available money for holidays or luxuries. Between them they owe £60,000+ interest for student loans which will take years to pay off. The police officer bought a house but her earnings are so low she can only afford to pay interest only. The daughter who works in health cannot afford to buy.
I say tax everyone who got a degree, ever, in a British Uni. Especially politicians and businessmen/women who are condemning todays children to a life of debt they avoided

Newbie26_2

I finished university 5 years ago, came out with £9k debt, had a minimum loan and supported myself with jobs throughout university, never having time off during the holidays. I have since worked very hard to get post degree qualifications whilst working and feel that it would be unfair to be charged a graduate tax on top of the tax I am already paying aswell as repaying student loans.

University was only 3 years of my education, therefore the graduate tax would punish me for working hard to pass some tough exams over the last 5 years and achieving a better paid job as a result.

It is very difficult now for young people to get on to the property ladder and a graduate tax would just make the matter worse. I feel the current system is alot fairer as you know how much you pay on the outset and therefore can make an informed decision as to whether university is the path you wish to take.

22225

you know the graduate tax thing, obviously it would only apply to new students? They couldn't tax the people (like me) who already are paying back their student loans???!!!

starlakid

There's a lot of talk on here about degrees which are 'good for society'. All education is good for society. University not only gives students knowledge in their chosen subject but also enables them to learn how to live independently and to be able to communicate/interact with those outside of their usual social circle. Going to university throws you into a mixed bag of people helping cross societal and national boundaries.

There's also plenty of comment here about the types of degrees which are useful. They seem to be focused on science, medicine and business type degrees with absolutely no mention of the arts.

As a graduate of the Arts I feel the need to vouch for the importance of this sector of education. We are human beings and made of more than merely bodies which need doctors and bank accounts which need cash. Every evening I expect most people sit down in front of their TV wanting to be entertained. For that one needs musicians, actors, writers, artists and dancers. Do you think that these things are outside the remit of a university and that those students who opt to take such subjects are in some way failing society by not taking on a career such as law?

The arts and university education in general needs to be protected and part of that is ensuring that children get a challenging enough curriculum in school to prepare them for further education. The right for a young person to make an informed choice about their future, free from worry about money and whether their degree is useful/worthwhile in an obvious way, is absolutely vital if we are to maintain a balanced society.

leasha78

The problem with the graduate tax is that it only applies financial value to education and learning. We all might benefit if we encourage learning for it's own sake because when we need creative people to fix the problems we don't have solutions to (global warming and a host of other things we didn't predict in time) then those people may be able to help. But not if they are working in McDonalds.
We seem to be be increasing the number of McJobs through the promotion of huge multinational companies whose main objective seems to be to milk the consumer. They are deskilling the nation. If the number of graduates was to be linked to the number of jobs for them then we would be allowing these companies to decide what skills we need and how educated our nation is. Can I remind you that China has more gifted and talented children in their schools than we have children in schools! We'll never compete unless we are educated.
I think it's better to encourage (and that also means pay for) the development of bright, creative individuals, rather than passively support the development of depressed, depressing underachievers, disgruntled and without the means to help themselves. Maybe with education, the poorest among us will be able to find solutions to their problems rather than relying other people. Or wait a minute what's wrong with relying on people. Surely that's the essence of society. People don't get anywhere without a bit of help from somewhere. Whats wrong with sharing the load? We allow the government to spend our collective cash on all sorts of things. Betting with banks in Iceland for one or fighting wars we protest against, but why shouldn't our collective money be spent educating our population?
Graduate tax is a crazy idea. There is a cost for education and to pay a graduate tax would mean that the debt incurred would never reduce. We would pay for the rest of our lives. It sounds a lot like bonded labour to me.
My proposal is more and better education. That's what taxes should be spent on.

Rufff

Keep the current system! The government isn't making any loss against the current student loans system so why an earth should they change it?! :mad:

As previously mentioned a higher Grad' Tax would force more people abroad and discourage those from less well off backgrounds to go to uni - as it stands I'm well on my way to finishing university with well over £20k in student loan debts and everyone in my family already works full-time in their jobs so they're already stretched to the limit so 'mummy & daddy' ain't exactly going to bail me out, I'm going to have to work it off on my own, and as it stands those people who earn more will pay greater amount of money in tax anyway!

I think its amazing the government is even considering this, they spin all these factory job loss stories saying the UK economy will be based upon ideas and knowledge - well umm, it won't if there aren't any graduates because they've all moved abroad or had their talent wasted after being put off from going to university!

I think it would be interesting to see the divide of opinion among graduates, non-graduates and those who plan to go to university etc...

sined1uk

if their was a perminant tax those who get their degree later in life would in theory pay less. or would age be taken into account?