University fees 'could rise five-fold' - BBC

MrsManda

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11455394

Thoughts?

I think providing loans continue to be offered I don't see why this is much of a problem. It's clear that in order to continue to offer world class degrees in subjects such as science and engineering there needs to be more funding. This wouldn't stop me applying to university, what it may do is make me think more about what I may want to do with my degree before making a decision on what degree to do. Rather than just doing a degree because thats what you do after A-levels.

angelofmel

my only problem with fees being raised is that at my uni it feels like a complete waste of money. i'd like to know what the hell they do with the fees money considering they've just built a new campus in the city, a new union and are replacing the halls yet staff have been made redundant, courses scrapped and various other things because of 'budget cuts'.

kazzah60

MrsManda wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11455394

Thoughts?

I think providing loans continue to be offered I don't see why this is much of a problem. It's clear that in order to continue to offer world class degrees in subjects such as science and engineering there needs to be more funding. This wouldn't stop me applying to university, what it may do is make me think more about what I may want to do with my degree before making a decision on what degree to do. Rather than just doing a degree because thats what you do after A-levels.

I Agree Mrs Manda
I believe that it will help focus quite a few minds onto whether or not a degree is what they want to be doing.

My BIL was in a very senior position at one of the top universities during his working life- he took early retirement a couple of years ago - he has always been a firm believer in education for all those who want it- however he now firmly believes that the "dumbing down" of A levels and Degree courses render a degree as a gateway to employment completely redundant.

He was recently chatting to us about this as our DS2 awaited his A level results and he told us that in his opinion degrees are so common place now that unless a student is undertaking a vocational degree - where the subject can ONLY be learned at Uni - such as medicine, law, physio and occupational therapy etc- it is completely pointless (in the vast majority of students cases) studying to degree level as a way to boost their chances on the employment market.

I have to agree with him, my best friend has 3 lovely children, the eldest was never particularly academic and did an Engineering apprenticeship and has a great job working a 4 day shift rota and earning £30k + at the age of 26

her 2nd son is 22 and was more academic - he decided on an accountancy apprenticship, worked whilst studying and qualified last
year and is currently undertaking more study to better himself - he works for a large car manufacturers and is earning £24K

her 3rd child- a lovely daughter has just left FE college and is about to start work in a administrative role

all three of them have earned while they learned - are well on their way to success and have no student debts.

she is rightly very proud of her children - they have all acheived their goals and none of them has needed university.

We live in a high area of unemployment - yet all of them have been continuously employed since leaving school.

Renya

It'd make me seriously consider whether I could afford to be at university any more.

Mankysteve

Not a chance on Browie Recomendation go though it would destroy the lib dem party which would destroy the collation government. If the conservatives get a full majority next election it may but i don't really see that happening either.

The_One_Who

I do think if this was to happen (which I am not against at all) there would also need to be a complete overhaul of the current system. There needs to be more options, more funding for them and more advertising of these options so that university is not just 'the done thing'. I am very much a supporter of education for education's sake, and really despair that universities are now seen as more like graduate factories than seats of independent learning and research.

sparky321

Does anyone have any idea whether this would impact current students?
I have just started at Aston, and am worried by the prospect of potential 5 fold increases in fees.
If they did so, I'd almost be held to ransom, because if I left I would be completely unqualified and still be saddled by the debt I have already accumulated, yet without the Degree that I need to get a degree level job...

Helix

sparky321 wrote: »

Does anyone have any idea whether this would impact current students?
I have just started at Aston, and am worried by the prospect of potential 5 fold increases in fees.
If they did so, I'd almost be held to ransom, because if I left I would be completely unqualified and still be saddled by the debt I have already accumulated, yet without the Degree that I need to get a degree level job...

In the past when a change to the fee system has happened existing students haven't been effected. Like in 2006 when fees when from £1000 to £3000, existing students at the time continued to pay £1000.

There isn't anything in the terms and conditions of the loans that stop them from changing the system for existing students though. Especially as you apply each year and sign a new set of terms (not that they mean much anyway they change them when they feel like it). So they could bring it into effect for existing students as well as new ones if they wanted to.