From £1,200 to £2,700, its extortionate.

Tallulah22

when i graduate a will be in at least £16,500 debt!!

DrFluffy

Tallulah22 wrote:

when i graduate a will be in at least £16,500 debt!!

When I graduate I'll be at least 40-50K in debt (pure degree alone debt). You learn to deal with it That's without factoring in lost earnings...

DrFluffy

Hellz85 wrote:

Some students are getting given laptops and money for books because of dyslexia!???? I don't understand this!! What happened to equality?

Equality is the precise reason why they are given this!!!

I would like it noted that I accidentally hit your thanks button rather than quote. I would hate to think anyone might assume I agree with you!!!

AddieH

jinkssick wrote:

This is how much the price has jumped to study at Thames Valley University here in West London. Incredible jump and I am happy that its only for new starts (Im on my third year).

Is this not extortionate and it is now not being covered by the student loan grant, as before when they paid for my £1,200 for 3 years running.

The last paragraph isn't correct, the same group of students who would have received a grant to cover their full fees of around £1,200 prior to this year will receive a grant of £2,700 from this year onwards. So in the case of TVU charging £2,700 they would not be any worse off.

Indeed at TVU it looks like they could be better off at TVU at they are offering a £1,000 bursary to students receiving the full £2,700 grant and £500 to those that aren't.

Furthermore loans for fees are now available should students wish to take them up so no student need pay their fees at the start of the year if they take up this option.

You are right in saying there is little change for students currently on courses, but they can also get a loan for their fees now if they want as well!

anewman

DrFluffy wrote:

Equality is the precise reason why they are given this!!!

I would like it noted that I accidentally hit your thanks button rather than quote. I would hate to think anyone might assume I agree with you!!!

I think the point Hellz85 was making is that even those who have the slightest of difficulties get a computer and books and photocopy cards and so on paid for. I agree students with difficulties should be given extra support and materials. However, if someone has such a small disability it barely causes them any difficulties and they have a "diagnosis" for that, and someone else who has similar difficulties but no diagnosis (because it does not cause much of a problem in their lives) gets none of that support. (I am not saying there are no people for which dyslexia does not cause substantial difficulty in higher education, and that those difficulties may not always be apparent. Just that there is a continuum starting with those with little difficulties, and some with more.)

I also wonder if that type of financial support is offered regardless of parental and own income?

Also does throwing money at students with a disability really help? Would a better way not be to use the money to wage a specialist support worker within the university to provide one on one help with University work?

talksalot81

DrFluffy wrote:

Equality is the precise reason why they are given this!!!

But how you define that is awfully difficult. I am a particularly slow writer, in many way this handicaps me compared to others and I spent much of my time having to look at my neighbours notes as the rest of the class raced onwards. So in many respects you could say it is unfair that some others got help when none would have been available to me...

freebie_junkie

Hellz85 wrote:

The whole fees thing and who gets given support is extremely biased.

It's a way of letting only those with lots of money and those who can claim they have none go to uni.

I feel like one of the many 'in the middle' students. I can't claim any kind of grant/support because of my parents income even though I've lived away from home and financially supported myself for 2 years. I see myself as a [I]very[/I] low earner.

Some students are getting given laptops and money for books because of dyslexia!???? I don't understand this!! What happened to equality?

And how come people whos parents are divorced or people whos parents are disabled get support???
Go out and earn your own money!!!

the DSA is about equality, 'bridging teh gap', they go to graet lengths to make sure its fair, e.g. my mum couldnt get public transport with their art supplies coz shes diabled in her shoulder after a 4x4 smashed into the side of her micra into her shoulder and she cant carry stuff so she got taxis but she still had to contribute the cost of her bus travel towards the taxi, so she was only getting the extra to cover what other students could already do i.e. non-disabled students can carry their art materials themselves so can get the bus.

i get the dsa for dyslexia, dyspraxia and ocd, i have a computer becuase my ocd means that id have to clean a public computer before i touched it and of course this wouldnt be allowed as it would break it (same applies to libarary books theyre not allowed in my flat and i havent touched one for over 5 years), also my computer is loaded with programmes to help me with my work, such as text help and a read aloud programme that lets me scan in notes and hear them, once again just helping me be teh same as everyone else. everyone else can read a handout no probs, i have diffculties and it helps to have it read to me. i obvouusl couldnt write my essays if i didnt have any books or access to teh internet and thats why i get an internet and book allowance becuase my ocd means i cant use the libarary facilities, once again its just putting me on teh same footing as everyone else on my course.

i think you just have a bee in your bonnet about not yet being classed as self-supporting, im not either and i can tell you its cheesed me off immensely too. id lived on my own for 2 years 8 months at form-filling in time, i missed it by 4 months! luckily, my mum was in full time eductaion last year and my dad is a social entrapeneur but i feel for people whose parents are on good incomes and who are burned by this ridiculous rule. apparently they set the age at 25 (unless youre married or have kids or your rents are dead etc...) because tehy think taht most people are supported by their parents until that age. to think you can join the army and fight on teh front lines but youre not trusted with your oen finances! its very insulting indeed, but it is not an excuse for you to have a pop at dsa students without knowing teh full facts is it now?!

p.s. i DO earn my own money thanks very much, the dsa is all in terms of items, help or stuff you ahve to buy first and then claim teh money back by producing teh reciepts- its not free money.

freebie_junkie

anewman wrote:

I think the point Hellz85 was making is that even those who have the slightest of difficulties get a computer and books and photocopy cards and so on paid for. I agree students with difficulties should be given extra support and materials. However, if someone has such a small disability it barely causes them any difficulties and they have a "diagnosis" for that, and someone else who has similar difficulties but no diagnosis (because it does not cause much of a problem in their lives) gets none of that support. (I am not saying there are no people for which dyslexia does not cause substantial difficulty in higher education, and that those difficulties may not always be apparent. Just that there is a continuum starting with those with little difficulties, and some with more.)

I also wonder if that type of financial support is offered regardless of parental and own income?

Also does throwing money at students with a disability really help? Would a better way not be to use the money to wage a specialist support worker within the university to provide one on one help with University work?

as outlined above if i didnt get a book allowance, id have no access to books (etc...). the money is split into different sections and if you need it you also get allowances for specialist help. i have money for a proof reader and study buddy as well as teh other stuff.

freebie_junkie

on teh subject of raising fees, im paying £1200 for my 3rd year but my mate whose a 2nd year is paying £3000

freebie_junkie

talksalot81 wrote:

But how you define that is awfully difficult. I am a particularly slow writer, in many way this handicaps me compared to others and I spent much of my time having to look at my neighbours notes as the rest of the class raced onwards. So in many respects you could say it is unfair that some others got help when none would have been available to me...

have you seen an educational psychologist? perhaps you are 'handicapped' as you put it.