How am I supposed to afford college at 30 with 2 children?

Tiddlywinks

Russe11 wrote: »

over £5000 a year of gross pay or over £415 a month into a civil service pension?

Thats 14% of gross pay!

Contributions are not that high are they?

Have the recent civil service pension reforms actually started to be realistic when it comes to contributions and pension value?

Police Officers are NOT civil servants, but are public sector workers.

Contributions are 11% and rising with new contribution rates around an extra 3.2%.

http://www.polfed.org/D69CF18AEFD34F298AB34D603DAE3578.asp

Police contribution rates have always been higher than the civil service.

Dunroamin

joeyfreak wrote: »

You could consider a professional an career development loan:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/FinancialHelpForAdultLearners/CareerDevelopmentLoans/index.htm
This is one of the ways I looked into being able to afford a college access course.

As your link explains, you can't use a PCDL to pay for an Access course.

"Other times you can't use a Professional and Career Development Loan include, to help pay for:
a foundation or access course used as a step towards a degree course (however, a stand-alone foundation course that leads to employment in its own right would be eligible)"

Dunroamin

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Because you can't. Everything I've said was truthful and you can't defend your wrongful attack against me.



Now you're getting confused. Yes I did mention this woman but only as an example that perhaps being afraid to take on debt for education isn't always a bad thing. I never meant it to be used in the context you are suggesting or attacking me for.

What I have noticed however, is that you've attacked me on everything possible, even making up things about maintenance loans, I've defended everything and so you've shifted your angle of attack around to the pilot and her loans.



I've made nothing up. She IS in debt to the tune of £80k.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article4298467.ece

Have I made that up?

What I originally said was this:


Again, you've taken it out of context. The point of the paragraph was to show that plenty of people get into debt with large amounts of money owing for their education these days however most people aren't aware of it. They just seem to think that everyone has a pot of gold from somewhere. I then used that amount of money as an example by saying 'IF' she's paying it off at £30 per month... etc. Thats all it was, an EXAMPLE not fact. The point was to show the op that student loans while sounding expensive and scary are probably a better idea than a debt with a bank or other lender.

I never claimed to be 100% correct however you've since been unable to disput the rest of my defence because you're an idiot..

Stick to something you know about ( if there is such a thing) rather than posting ill informed rubbish which some vulnerable people may actually believe. Alternately, accept your lack of knowledge and learn!

TrickyWicky

Dunroamin wrote: »

Stick to something you know about ( if there is such a thing) rather than posting ill informed rubbish which some vulnerable people may actually believe. Alternately, accept your lack of knowledge and learn!

Seriously, what is your problem?

I've already dealt with your 6 points previously. You were the one harping on about maintenance loans that I had never mentioned. You were the one saying I was wrong about £30 per month Student loan repayments at £25k even though it's clearly published on the SLC website and you are the one who can't see the wood for the trees.

Whatever your problem is, SORT IT OUT.

Russe11

marybelle01 wrote: »

These comments are wholly uncalled for and extremely offensive. We were not discussing your mother or her situation. Things change. We also used to send children up chimneys. That doesn't mean it was right nor fair. The fact that women once had fewer opportunities or the chance to fulfil their aspirations is absolutely nothing to celebrate. And nor is it appropriate to refer to them as "breeders ". In case you had not noticed, it takes two to tango … shall we now start an equally irrelevant debate about the men who leave a trail of families behind them and then whinge about having to pay for those families because they "can't afford " the CSA payments?

What you think of the benefits system has absolutely nothing to do with the OP, who isn't claiming benefits and there is utterly no reason to suggest that she and her employed, policeman, husband had children to claim benefits. And if other people, as you suggest, are having children to claim better benefits, perhaps it suggests that if single people or couples could actually live on their pittance of benefit, they wouldn't need to. It would be relatively easy to introduce a retrograde benefit that supports families with smaller numbers of children. Unless of course you want to be more proactive about it. I believe the last person to refer to people as breeders was Adolf Hitler, and he had quite a few proactive ideas to deal with them.

Lets revert back to the OP, if they can not afford they should use the current system to maximise their income, the family income pays into the taxation system, but does not take out of by claiming the tax credit they are entitled to.

Why do they then question that it can not be afforded?

The most obvious point is the amount spent on housing, the high rent that drains over 50% of the houshold income, is it not that obvious?

RedSoleShoes

To the OP, you sound very much like you think you are hard-done-by and 'deserve' to be handed an opportunity. I find it unusual that your husband is in a good and relatively well paid role yet you live in rented accommodation. Surely you could get a key-worker shared ownership property and probably pay less per month on rent/mortgage? Anyways, perhaps you have had previous financial issues that prevent this so I'm not judging your situation, just seems unusual that's all.

It was your choice to have children and you have obviously made sacrafices to do that. So how much do you really want to study? I realise you have come on here to ask advice but your post has a certain 'winge' to it so maybe you need a slightly different attitude.

I work full time and I'm currently studying for an OU degree. I have had to make sacrafices, both financial and social, but it is something I really want to do.

princessdon

Dunroamin wrote: »

If you work in the field (as I did), I'm sure that you know how few people are accepted as "jumpers"; it's certainly possible but not very common.

I agree totally that childcare subsidy varies between colleges but I think this would have been clearer if you'd written "childcare may be subsidised " - I think that saying it can be subsidised suggests that it actually will be.:)

I agree - Poor choice of wording

But disagree with the level jumpers, but would have agreed until recent years. I haven't got exact numbers to hand ATM but my educated guess is approx 60% of Access students that I deal with are level jumpers. It has been made real easy for mature students (due to financially getting it free, flexible learning times - day and evening) and more to the point the fact they only appear to have to do an online Literacy/Numeracy test to assess base level for acceptance. Given it is a multiple choice question exercise most 10 year olds can answer (and yes my child passed aged 9) it results in a lot of mature students getting level jumping funding. This as you can imagine leaves a task and half for the tutor sadly. But again (though this is certainly not my field so I am going off emails I haven't read fully) this is due to change in September 2012 when a more rigourous format of adult literacy/numeracy is coming into force. Though that will be mute as the guidance I have seen via email (but this isn't really job I just read boring emails), this level jumping is going.

Op never said that they didn't have a level 2 anyway or responded to this and my post, but personally if I was in their position I'd be ringing their local college and seeing if they *may* (note the may - I do learn lol) be able to help as some are offering June-June and a discount on childcare. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - and most FE colleges have open evenings in May so don't even need an appointment.

Russe11

RedSoleShoes wrote: »

To the OP, you sound very much like you think you are hard-done-by and 'deserve' to be handed an opportunity. I find it unusual that your husband is in a good and relatively well paid role yet you live in rented accommodation. Surely you could get a key-worker shared ownership property and probably pay less per month on rent/mortgage? Anyways, perhaps you have had previous financial issues that prevent this so I'm not judging your situation, just seems unusual that's all.

It was your choice to have children and you have obviously made sacrafices to do that. So how much do you really want to study? I realise you have come on here to ask advice but your post has a certain 'winge' to it so maybe you need a slightly different attitude.

I work full time and I'm currently studying for an OU degree. I have had to make sacrafices, both financial and social, but it is something I really want to do.

A excellent post, the OP maybe could of put it...

Hi

I have decided i'd like to go back into education to do an acess course. I have 2 children, 1 of school age, other requiring childcare. I'm 30 years old and my husband brings in the house hold income.

My husband does earn a good wage but we are not left with any spare money at the end of the month and sometimes some bills don't even get paid.

I don't feel as though we live beyond our means, but don't know how i'm supposed to afford it as over 50% of the income goes on rent, once the bills and essentials are covered its just making end meet.

Has anyone got any information that would help me with regard to finacial help or childcare arrangements.

duchy

princessdon wrote: »

I agree - Poor choice of wording

(though this is certainly not my field so I am going off emails I haven't read fully) this is due to change in September 2012 when a more rigourous format of adult literacy/numeracy is coming into force. Though that will be mute as the guidance I have seen via email (but this isn't really job I just read boring emails), this level jumping is going.

.

Do you really mean it will be silent or did you mean Moot ?

Fiddlestick

Russe11 wrote: »

My husband does earn a good wage but we are not left with any spare money at the end of the month and sometimes some bills don't even get paid.

And the answers would STILL be the same - namely that she would need to sort out their family spending before considering a return to education - as at present they are not coping.