MSE News: Student loans are not big enough

gadgetmind

rozmister wrote: »

That really depends where you choose to live after university. Outside of London there aren't that many grad jobs paying over £21k and so competition is bloody fierce! <snip> It's not a land of opportunities in all of Britain!

My office is in a gritty Northern city that's far from London and we have problems recruiting good grads across all of our sites as competition for them is fierce.

We regularly fly grads in from Greece, Spain, and even further afield (at our expense!) for interviews as there are so few suitable candidates coming through UK universities.

gadgetmind

rozmister wrote: »

he's now on a £14k placement after a year unemployed

BTW, £14k is about right for a placement, but we only do there for under graduates. We then offer to sponsor them during their final year(s) with the proviso that they pay us back if they don't then come back to work for us for at least (from memory) three years. The end result is that we get good placement students and this feeds into us getting a better flow of graduates.

Lokolo

gadgetmind wrote: »

In a very nice room in a fully-catered hall that's right on campus.

Can I also add that I live in Leeds, and if I glance in the windows of estate agents in the home counties, it all looks a bit spendy but not mad. Sadly, this is because southerners, who mostly don't know the value of money, have been coming up here for work and pushing up house prices.

For the last time, it's *grim* up here, you don't want to come and you will *not* be welcome.

Thanks.

It's still massively overpriced though. I wouldn't pay that even in the South East!

gadgetmind

Lokolo wrote: »

It's still massively overpriced though. I wouldn't pay that even in the South East!

They fill it every year so it sounds like they've got it priced at what the market will stand. Those who aren't prepared to pay that much will find plenty of cheaper alternatives.

Lokolo

gadgetmind wrote: »

They fill it every year so it sounds like they've got it priced at what the market will stand. Those who aren't prepared to pay that much will find plenty of cheaper alternatives.

Yes quite, but I don't believe that to compensate for those that can't afford it, should have larger student loans because "living costs are so high".

gadgetmind

Yes, I did think the data was being cherry picked.

rozmister

gadgetmind wrote: »

My office is in a gritty Northern city that's far from London and we have problems recruiting good grads across all of our sites as competition for them is fierce.

We regularly fly grads in from Greece, Spain, and even further afield (at our expense!) for interviews as there are so few suitable candidates coming through UK universities.

And what about the many people who have no desire to live in London or a gritty northern city? It sounds like it's nothing to do with what you pay, you feel british graduates aren't up to scratch whatever the pay! That's a different kettle of fish altogether!!

gadgetmind

rozmister wrote: »

It sounds like it's nothing to do with what you pay, you feel british graduates aren't up to scratch whatever the pay!

I don't care where someone was born, I don't care where they graduated, I just want the best people for the roles.

No, actually, that's not true. I'd *much* prefer they were British and came through our university system because I want to think that our DNA, schools and universities can deliver the goods, but while this isn't the case, I have to be realistic.

We work closely with universities in the UK to help them refine their curriculum but constantly bang our heads against the fact that they are afraid of teaching difficult things because their intake can't handle such material.

Wait, what, let's back up.

These are Russell Group universities, teaching STEM subjects, and they want/need to avoid difficult material that is bread and butter to modern industry practice.

Yes, things have got that bad.

However, it's not all negative as we do get some top notch UK grads who renew your faith in the younger generation. If we could get 10x as many, then I wouldn't be hanging around here flapping my lips in the breeze.

GeneHunt_2

The_Jakal wrote: »

Another issue that regularly occurs is if parents have 2+ children that go to university. Are they expected to support all of them? If you catch my drift.

Why shouldn't they? Nobody made them have kids did they? Why should I support your kids which you chose to have? If you couldn't afford to have them - why did you? Why didn't they save?

amiehall

I am assessed independently and my parents are not expected to contribute and still don't receive a huge amount of loan. If I enter my loan as earnings into a benefits calculator, it would be happy to give me over £60 a week of benefit support.

I do work and support a comfortable lifestyle but without these earnings, I would struggle to support myself at all. Considering current levels of unemployment, I'm not sure it's reasonable to assume people will be able to find suitable work. I do kind of feel that a student loan should be enough to cover sensible food, rent and bills.