The rants of an old student ...

RocketMan

Hello all,

I was wondering about the NUS extra card and the discounts it gets you, when was it created and did you always have to pay for it.

When I first started uni (about eight years ago, now finishing up a PhD) I could not remember being told about this card I had to buy to get the discounts, they were there ready to take advantage of with my uni card with NUS on it.

Now I am finding that shops refuse to accept my uni card as it’s not an NUS extra card, even though it’s in date and has NUS on it. I bought an extra card last year and after 4 months the muppets at NUS extra activated it so I could use it online to buy my Christmas presents from Amazon with the discount (the reason I got it), although it then being January it was not much good to me (I had tried to cancel it, their customer care team would make the likes of three mobile proud in their ability to say alot yet actually do nothing until a long time has passed).

I would be interested to hear people’s opinion of the NUS extra card and the student discounts you used to get for free but now have to pay for, even if it is just £10.

I think the NUS is another money grabbing organisation, seem to rem being told many years ago they were there to defend the rights of students, I love my right to now be charged twice as much interest on my loan, pay three times the amount in tuition fees, and I really enjoy my right to pay about £1.50 more than I did three years ago for a meal in the canteen ..... or am I just getting bitter in my old age?

Wolfsbayne

I havent bothered getting the NUS extra card, I find it another money grabbing opportunity to be honest. I agree, what has happened to the NHS supporting students rights? Im now finding university to be a complete rip off. When i did my first degree in 2001-04 I only had to pay £1 for an NUS card that was accepted for everything, meals in the student canteen were reasonable, etc. Now, I have to pay £1.50 for a coffee or £5 for a meal amongst other things. My student id card with its little NHS logo has been accepted at some places - I flashed it at HMV and they then gave me their own student discount card and its worked at Partners and WH Smith. I would like to get a discount on Amazon but im not prepared to pay £10 for it.