Paying for 25 year old child

Red-Squirrel_2

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

No - far from.

The way I would like to see things is the "usual" number of University students going that used to go (not every other person - regardless of ability or no).

Those people that go - to get grants again - as from adult age (ie turning 18) and to have tuition fees covered again.

I thought it was quite clear I meant "Put the clock back to the way things were back in the 1970s";
- full grants
- full tuition fees covered
- only the usual number of people to go to University

and people treated as adults as from 18th birthday - ie the Government pays (not the student themselves and not their parents either).

Regardless of ability?

Red-Squirrel_2

annandale wrote: »

People still are not getting this. Students are dependent on parents because the amount they get in maintenance grants is low.

Why not criticise the Govt for replacing grants with loans and not making those grants big enough rather than criticising the fact that they expect parents to help out financially when someone is a student.

With respect, I think it’s you who isn’t getting it. We are criticising both those things!

The government should provide a system that allows full time students to survive and get their degrees without relying on support from parents, because they are adults and should be considered independently.

Expecting parents to contribute is a massively flawed system for a number of reasons, including but not limited to the fact that parents can’t be forced to, that living costs vary massively across the country, that there is no taking into account of parents other commitments such as other children or elderly relatives and that it coerces young adults into having to maintain relationships that are not always happy or healthy.

happyandcontented

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Regardless of ability?

Yes, sadly, that is often the case. Many universities now take students with poor A level results to get bums on seats.

annandale

No - far from.

The way I would like to see things is the "usual" number of University students going that used to go (not every other person - regardless of ability or no).

I had to have 3 Bs and two Cs at Scottish Higher to get into my degree course, or the equivalent points

My brother's course was much similar. Mine was for a business degree and his was in social sciences. I went to school with people who had to get 5A grades to get into their choice of degree.

Here's the list of courses for Glasgow uni and entry requirements (they've not changed that much in 30 years)

https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/businessmanagement/#tab=1

There's an argument that Highers and A levels are easier now, but I would suspect that a lot of the degree courses are not. Im sure someone will be along to say that isn't the case, but I had to work hard for my Highers and I also had to work hard for my degree.

There were people on my degree course who struggled badly and had to take a year out because they failed both resits in a core subject.

theoretica

What hasn't been mentioned is how much student housing has changed - leading to increased rent costs. Partly this will be down to increased expectations of living standards and new or refurbished housing being designed for rental to conferences and non-students in vacations. But also more students means more demand and competition for accommodation, so prices rise. How many places offer shared rooms nowadays? Judging by the ads I see you are more likely to have en-suite bathrooms not to mention shared gyms and the like.

happyandcontented

annandale wrote: »

I had to have 3 Bs and two Cs at Scottish Higher to get into my degree course, or the equivalent points

My brother's course was much similar. Mine was for a business degree and his was in social sciences. I went to school with people who had to get 5A grades to get into their choice of degree.

Here's the list of courses for Glasgow uni and entry requirements (they've not changed that much in 30 years)

https://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/businessmanagement/#tab=1

There's an argument that Highers and A levels are easier now, but I would suspect that a lot of the degree courses are not. Im sure someone will be along to say that isn't the case, but I had to work hard for my Highers and I also had to work hard for my degree.

There were people on my degree course who struggled badly and had to take a year out because they failed both resits in a core subject.

The red brick universities do still adhere to older course requirements, although if numbers are low or exam results not great across the board then they will lower them on clearing.

However, some others, notably former polys, do take students with much lower results. For example, a friends daughter got CDD and was still accepted at a former poly on a course for which a Russell Group uni requires ABB.

Spendless

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I'm quite surprised by this: the boys are all over 25 now, but we were told about means-testing, grants and loans at sixth form evenings (encouraging them to go) and there were also talks about student finance for parents at the open days we went to. Not saying you didn't get the same, but still surprised.

To be fair, the University line was 'don't worry about the money, just send them here, they'll have a great time', but still ...

Also I think all were told that if we their parents had not attended university, there were grants from the Uni they could apply for. No use to my lot, but possibly worth yours exploring this?

We visisted 4 ex-polys. It was mentioned in a booklet that had RL stories from one of them (Leeds Beckett) even then it was a vague mention about how the family had cut back on things to help support their child, not a clear explanation of how the finance worked. I went and sat in one of the 'parent talks' at one of the Unis, not a word mentioned. We've had nothing from the FE college he attended (though I'm not impressed by the FE college in general) and def never spoke of at his 11-16 Secondary school.

I've seen the occasional thing about extra money if you're first generation to go to Uni, but this has only been part of the criteria along with area you live and grades, so never fitted.

annandale

Even someone on a full loan might still struggle even if their finances were assessed independently from their parents given that the costs of living are so high. Particularly if you live away from home.

Not everyone on here is criticising current policy nor suggesting that the system reverts back to grants and not loans.

An ex of mine had a very wealthy family. However his father simply refused to pay the parental contribution.

annandale

If people genuinely didn’t know that the loan system expected parents to contribute how did you think the degree would be financed?

Did you think the loans were going to be big enough to cover all outgoings?

happyandcontented

I think that regardless of whether you knew or didn't know, the Govt want it all ways. At 18 you are legally an adult. Yet, for the purposes of the SLO you are still treated as being the responsibility of the parent and the parental income taken account of, or rather the household income is taken account of, which is quite different in reality and in practice.

I am not sure why this is considered acceptable.

However, it is the system we have and therefore, most parents have to accept that and they do support their children.

If fewer students went to university as was the case in the 1970's ( only the brightest) then the loans system could be scrapped, but that isn't likely to be any time soon.

What really irks me is that absent fathers do not have their income counted, yet they often contribute heavily. One of my sons studied with a friend whose parents were divorced and whose father was in a very well paid job, but, as he lived with his mum none of that income counted. He was showered with money to supplement his full loan. Parents divorce each other not young adults who require educational support.