MSE News: Applications for 2012 uni starters falls, as tuition fees set to rise

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Applications for those hoping to start uni under the new higher tuition fees system are down compared to last year ..."

Read the full story:

Applications for 2012 uni starters falls, as tuition fees set to rise

Derivative

This is essentially the reason why tuition fees were raised.

I don't think the Conservatives share Labour's vision of 100% participation in HE.

Whether it's a good thing or not comes down to personal opinion.

melancholly

last year will have had a lot of extra applications as students who would normally have taken gap years will have got in before the fee rise. mature sudents thinking about whether to do to uni will also have taken the plunge a year earlier. there is always a jump in applications before a fee increase and therefore the year on year percentage shows a drop. this has been a massive fee hike so the drop will be greater.

it isn't possible to say that this means anything yet. with previous fee increases/rises, everything normalised fairly quickly. after a couple of years we'll know whether this is a statistical blip or the start of a decline in uni applications. all the discussion in the press today seems to take over extrapolating to a new level!

2_cups_of_coffee

Not at all surprising - as a parent of one child who started last year instead of doing a gap out of financial fear.
I wonder how big the swing is to NHS funded courses where the tuition fees are paid? Would be sad if students are taking these courses for no other reason than to get a degree.

However as my 21-year old, who has lived independently for the last 3 years and is due to start Uni on an NHS course this year has found out to her horror the application procedure online is ridiculous!. The idea is to prove that she has supported herself and earned enough money to demonstrate that but the form dictates that she has to have either worked or claimed benefits for the whole 36 months! So it appears that if you choose to work your socks off 7 days a week for 4 months you are not allowed a month off?

Has anyone else any experience of this? It is unlikely you would know the ins and outs unless you have tried to go through the online process - bring back the paper form I say!

Confused and in need of caffeine

amiehall

I have claimed independent status from student finance. All I had to do was send 3 P60s in to them. There's no actual proving of where you worked when or anything like that. It did ask me to list where I worked on the online form I filled out but in the end, the years I had the best evidence for weren't the ones I listed on there so I'm not sure they even looked at that.

At the end of the day, they wanted 3 P60s showing earnings of over £7.5k and not much else.... I'd presume the NHS application would have a similar income requirement.

Having not filled out an NHS bursary form, is it actually asking for evidence of how long you worked where because I have no idea how anyone would provide that.... Who keeps every payslip from a job you had 4 years ago? That's why I'm pretty sure they'd have an income level and accept the year if earnings are over that level.

kayr_2

This is just anecdotal but according to people we know working in admissions at one large, non-RG university, applications for courses such as medicine were at the same level as previous years but for courses like the oft mentioned "Media Studies" applications were down around 40%. This was a few weeks ago however.

Oldernotwiser

kayr wrote: »

This is just anecdotal but according to people we know working in admissions at one large, non-RG university, applications for courses such as medicine were at the same level as previous years but for courses like the oft mentioned "Media Studies" applications were down around 40%. This was a few weeks ago however.

Every cloud.....:rotfl:

callum9999

I think it's fairly obvious this is largely because applications increased the year before and not because people are "scared" of the fees. A more apt comparison would surely be against 2010.

And my personal belief is that if people aren't capable of very basic financial planning and comprehension, then they should really be questioning whether university is right for them in the first place...

2_cups_of_coffee

amiehall wrote: »

I have claimed independent status from student finance. All I had to do was send 3 P60s in to them. There's no actual proving of where you worked when or anything like that. It did ask me to list where I worked on the online form I filled out but in the end, the years I had the best evidence for weren't the ones I listed on there so I'm not sure they even looked at that.

At the end of the day, they wanted 3 P60s showing earnings of over £7.5k and not much else.... I'd presume the NHS application would have a similar income requirement.

Having not filled out an NHS bursary form, is it actually asking for evidence of how long you worked where because I have no idea how anyone would provide that.... Who keeps every payslip from a job you had 4 years ago? That's why I'm pretty sure they'd have an income level and accept the year if earnings are over that level.

Thank-you Amiehall this is encouraging; having seen the download form from previous years it seems that there is room for movement however the inflexible online version prevents continuing unless there are 36 months accounted for by company worked (and proof tick) or claiming unemployment.
She made two calls to the helpline who simply told her if she couldn't prove it as it was stated she had to be assessed on parental income. Not helpful or understanding at all.
She has clearly survived as we have not helped her so it is all bonafide - it seems that she'd have been given more credibility if she'd claimed benefits for 3 years!
I'm afraid I see this as another example of our system helping those who DONT help themselves

2sides2everystory

The figures don't mean much at the moment. The real crunch will come when students decide whether to commit to a huge loan.

Willetts looks washed up.

Where's the centralised info on higher level apprenticeships, please ?

The_One_Who

2sides2everystory wrote: »

The real crunch will come when students decide whether to commit to a huge loan.

What percentage of students actually have a choice in whether or not to take out the loan? The fact is that for the vast majority, student loans will be the only way to finance their degree. I'm all for people taking a year or two out to help finance it and to settle in their own minds what they want, as well as looking into other avenues, but for the majority a loan will be the only option.

But, yes, pretty much what Melancholly said.