MSE News: Student tuition fees could treble by 2012

Arg

What way's do you think it could be spent?

The_One_Who wrote: »

I'm sorry, but in what way are those 'extras'? Have you any idea how much preparation (and paperwork) is required just to run a class? Where are you going to have lectures if the room cannot be booked, never mind being lit or heated? Believe, me, being in an unlit, unheated stone building in the depths of a west coast Scottish winter is not fun!

Is that all the money's spent on?What did you mean by student unions and staff then?

In what way is the library an extra? Where are the books and articles going to be stored? Who is going to buy them? Do you know how much it costs to provide access to online journal articles per year?

If the public are paying for it then maybe it should be a public library complete with all those expensive journals.

I could go on if you want.

Sure just provide the entire accounts by the morning.

melancholly

Arg wrote: »

Is that all the money's spent on?What did you mean by student unions and staff then?

:rotfl::rotfl:i mean, i assume that's a joke!


essentially, either lots of unis will close or fees will have to go up. there's no middle ground. there's simply no way that scottish universities will be able to stay without fees in the long term.... it just makes no financial sense. many universities are already on the brink....

The_One_Who

Arg wrote: »

Is that all the money's spent on?What did you mean by student unions and staff then?

If the public are paying for it then maybe it should be a public library complete with all those expensive journals.

Granted, in Scotland the student union doesn't hold as much of a support function as it does elsewhere. In Scotland it usually is just a glorified bar, but elsewhere the union is usually the centre of all the student support services (as well as the bar). And the staff needed to run them need to get paid.

If you want to take an issue with anything you should either take it with the amount of money NUS charge universities for membership as well as some of the rather ridiculous conditions they impose; or maybe with the high salaries that can be earned doing sabbatical positions on student council boards. I believe in some London universities it can be as high as £30,000 for the year.

At least at my old library any graduate (of any UK university) could gain access, for an annual fee of course. So not quite public access, but then I would question how many members of the public would want to use an academic library.

The money is spent on a whole host of things, things most students probably don't even realise.

Oldernotwiser

Arg wrote: »

What way's do you think it could be spent?

You're the one making the suggestion, so it seems reasonable that you should say what you think.

emidee

I'm from a 'low income family' & I'll be losing out because of this fee increase. :mad:

I'm a 2nd year sciences student, & have already applied to study Medicine in 2012 - I want to be a Doctor. I've made a deferred application as I want to finish my existing course first. Applying to study Medicine as a second degree is fairly common, especially for mature students.

Because Student Finance incorrectly recognise the 5yr Medicine course to be at the same level as an ordinary 3-yr BSc(Hons) degree, they refuse to offer further tuition fee loans to students who are studying for their second degree.

Until 2 weeks ago this was not necessarily a problem for me; I was fairly certain that I would be able to secure £16,500 worth of funding for tuition fees over the 5 year course.
Now, however, it looks like the course will cost between £30,000 - £45,000, payable upfront. (and JUST for tuition fees, giving no thought to living costs!) :eek:

If I'd known 2 years ago they were going to change the rules like this, I'd have sat A levels or similar instead, in order to qualify for medical school - that way I could have ensured I would still be eligible for tuition fee funding for the Medicine course. Now it's too late for that & I'm stuck with no options, as far as I know.

As it is I don't think I'll be training as a Doctor now, & I literally do not know what to do.

Oldernotwiser

emidee wrote: »

I'm from a 'low income family' & I'll be losing out because of this fee increase. :mad:

I'm a 2nd year sciences student, & have already applied to study Medicine in 2012 - I want to be a Doctor. I've made a deferred application as I want to finish my existing course first. Applying to study Medicine as a second degree is fairly common, especially for mature students.

Because Student Finance incorrectly recognise the 5yr Medicine course to be at the same level as an ordinary 3-yr BSc(Hons) degree, they refuse to offer further tuition fee loans to students who are studying for their second degree.

Until 2 weeks ago this was not necessarily a problem for me; I was fairly certain that I would be able to secure £16,500 worth of funding for tuition fees over the 5 year course.
Now, however, it looks like the course will cost between £30,000 - £45,000, payable upfront. (and JUST for tuition fees, giving no thought to living costs!) :eek:

If I'd known 2 years ago they were going to change the rules like this, I'd have sat A levels or similar instead, in order to qualify for medical school - that way I could have ensured I would still be eligible for tuition fee funding for the Medicine course. Now it's too late for that & I'm stuck with no options, as far as I know.

As it is I don't think I'll be training as a Doctor now, & I literally do not know what to do.

Have you tried to get on a course beginning in 2011? If that were possible it would be a much better bet than finishing your current degree and going in 2012.

emidee

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Have you tried to get on a course beginning in 2011? If that were possible it would be a much better bet than finishing your current degree and going in 2012.

I need to talk to the university about this, and will do so it at all possible - the trouble is, the course is massively over-subscribed on a regular year (10 applicants to 1 place), let alone this year!
I imagine all applicants that were going to defer are considering the same action now. The only saving grace is that it's too late for anyone else to apply for Medicine in 2011, as the deadline was 15th Oct.

Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

amiehall

Does anyone have any idea if these funding proposals would apply to someone who sent in their application this year for deferred entry in 2012? I would be a mature student having dropped out of a medical degree in the past as it wasn't for me. Since then I'd spent a long time working out what I actually did want to do. I'd just about decided and set about repaying any debts and saving up a suitable sum to support me through uni so I didn't make the same mistakes as I made last time. These proposals are a big kick in the teeth as I was planning to apply next year to start in 2012. There's no way I could have money in place to start next September.

If by applying now for deferred entry, I'd escape these fees then obviously it's worth a try even if I don't get in this time round. When top up fees were introduced, those with offers for deferred entry in hand were allowed to continue under the old fees regime. Is it worth me rushing an application in the next month?

Oldernotwiser

amiehall wrote: »

Does anyone have any idea if these funding proposals would apply to someone who sent in their application this year for deferred entry in 2012? I would be a mature student having dropped out of a medical degree in the past as it wasn't for me. Since then I'd spent a long time working out what I actually did want to do. I'd just about decided and set about repaying any debts and saving up a suitable sum to support me through uni so I didn't make the same mistakes as I made last time. These proposals are a big kick in the teeth as I was planning to apply next year to start in 2012. There's no way I could have money in place to start next September.

If by applying now for deferred entry, I'd escape these fees then obviously it's worth a try even if I don't get in this time round. When top up fees were introduced, those with offers for deferred entry in hand were allowed to continue under the old fees regime. Is it worth me rushing an application in the next month?

I don't really see what you've got to lose - I think it may well be the same as when top up fees were introduced.

Helix

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I don't really see what you've got to lose - I think it may well be the same as when top up fees were introduced.

Its not the government have stated that deferred entry students will pay the same as those starting in 2012 as direct entry.

They are not repeating what happened in 2006.