Student Loans 2012

setmefree2

Middle class students will pay at least £2,700 more in university tuition fees to subsidise those from low income families – even if they go on to earn much less in later life.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8474833/Middle-class-students-will-pay-thousands-more-to-subsidise-poorer-peers-university-fees.html

setmefree2

£9,000 tuition fees will NOT be challenged by regulators


Low-ranking universities planning to charge £9,000-a-year will not be challenged over their fees, it has emerged.

In a candid admission, David Barrett, the assistant director of the Office for Fair Access (Offa) has said that he has no plans to stop any university charging the fees they have applied for.

And he has said that he ‘would not fine’ any university for failing to meet their quotas on admitting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Instead, he said errant universities will be forced to have a ‘conversation’ with Offa about ‘how best to manage their resources more wisely’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381765/9-000-tuition-fees-NOT-challenged-regulators.html#ixzz1KtEQ0lc8

sarahevie

I've read up to page 10, but thought that I would share.

As a student 2002-2006, I didn't pay tuition fees. (Fees were only up to about £1000 at the time). My parents didn't earn enough about £16,000. Dad had recently retired from work after a nervous breakdown.

I chose not to take out the student loan, and worked constantly. I was studying law and sociology at Durham. I used to work at Clarks 9-5, then Sainsburys 6-10, four days a week. Rent was £3000 a year fully catered in halls. Spends £50 a week.

In the holidays I also worked. At the end of my degree I had no debts, and £30,000 which I used to buy my first house, a terraced house in Headingley Leeds. The view being to rent the additional rooms to pay the mortgage.

I self funded a Masters at York, working in H Samuels the fees were £3000, but I lived at home that year.

I'm now 26, have just submitted my PhD from Manchester uni, have my own family home, and my original student house. I am trying to get mortgage free.

Being at Durham was the best thing for me, I was surrounded by pampered pooches living on family allowances. At the time I was quite bitter. I did miss out as I never went drinking or partying, but I did meet the father of my kids and we are both now t total.

I realise my parents wanted to show me how to work hard. We have a great relationship. They are immensely proud of me, as I am of them. They are both 52 are now very happy with their lives and 30 year marriage.

If I had my time over I wouldn't go to uni, it was a waste for me in a lot of ways for me, as I've since had two children (one of which was born with 8% chance of survival) so I'm now a SAHM.

setmefree2

Half of A-level students shun university

Poll of 16- 18-year-olds shows that 47% plan to go straight to work while 12% still uncertain about university education

More than half of the students currently taking A-levels are not planning to go to university or are undecided about taking up a place because they can't afford the cost.
Almost half – 47% – of the 1,129 students aged 16 to 18 who responded to the survey said they plan to go straight into employment after their A-levels or equivalent studies.. A further 12% were unsure what they would do.
Of those who said they wanted to go straight into work, 11% wanted to "start earning straight away", 6% explained that university just wasn't for them while 67% said they felt they "couldn't afford university due to the planned rises in tuition fees".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/03/a-level-students-shun-university

TBH I have no idea what sort of poll this was and how representative it is of the student population...

Lots of interesting comments/ opinions after the article...

Taiko

Those people shouldn't obviously be in higher education, as they're clearly not bright enough to realise there's no upfront cost, and their increased earnings if they apply theirselves during and after university would make things easier.

The_One_Who

^ That. And, if they are immediately put off university without considering any other option then maybe they didn't really want to do a degree in the first place.

melancholly

Taiko wrote: »

Those people shouldn't obviously be in higher education, as they're clearly not bright enough to realise there's no upfront cost, and their increased earnings if they apply theirselves during and after university would make things easier.

and you're surprised!? how many students don't know when they start to repay their loan under the current system, despite all the info they get?! they don't understand student finance because they don't engage with it at all. with the scare stories in the newspapers, all they hear are the big totals, nothing else. the staggering level of ignorance about student loans, by those who have them, means that i can't expect potential new students to have looked at it any further. a shame really.....

Taiko

Not surprised at all, given the many years having to use sockpuppets to explain that grant = grant and loan = loan.

Media certainly don't help though.

melancholly

were sock puppets helpful over the phone?! (brilliant mental image!)

Oldernotwiser

Taiko wrote: »

Those people shouldn't obviously be in higher education, as they're clearly not bright enough to realise there's no upfront cost, and their increased earnings if they apply theirselves during and after university would make things easier.

Neither do they realise that getting a job after A levels is not going to be as easy as they think!