Tuition fees- Value for money?

welf_man

CCCele wrote: »

It was also wrong of the government to call these tuition fees, as they are nothing of the sort. This money goes to the universities to spend how they like, not to the departments (which is why all courses charge the same fee). Much of it gets spent on administration, not on teaching. It should have been called a university fee, not a tuition fee.

Absolutely - and it's not just administration, it's Halls upkeep, sports facilities, cleaning, portering, insurance .....

Also to make the block grant to the Students' Union, which helps to provide people like me - I'm a Welfare Adviser - social facilities, clubs, volunteering opportunities, representation .....

Advert over!

Mel.

The_One_Who

flake wrote: »

I agree. It might not be a scam but it's not right. I'm supposed to work 16 hours a week including home study. If i open-uni it they call 16 hours part-time, and they charge less than 4 grand fees for the whole degree. I would get just as much contact hours, maybe more, as none of my lecturers are very accessible. Lectures are just taught at you no time to ask questions or debate. If i don't understand something i have to arrange a meeting by email and everyone's all very busy, especially doing research, which is what my tutor freely admitted in his first lecture to us--i am here for the research i don't get all excited about teaching students?! Nice.

Could you not arrange to see a different lecturer? There will be more than one person able to help you, especially if you are in first year before you start to specialise. Or, if you get really stuck and just can't figure it out yourself there is always the postgraduates (if you know any in the department through tutorials etc.) who will probably help you out for some fee and some alcohol.

Sigur_2

CCCele wrote: »

It was also wrong of the government to call these tuition fees, as they are nothing of the sort. This money goes to the universities to spend how they like, not to the departments (which is why all courses charge the same fee). Much of it gets spent on administration, not on teaching. It should have been called a university fee, not a tuition fee.

Talk about pedantic lol:money:

JoeA81

Remember that the £3000 per year is just a contribution to the actual "cost of tuition" which is much higher. This is why overseas student fees are in the 10K+ per year range. Looking at it like that, tution fees are good value for money!

kr15snw

Im in my 2nd (final) year on an art degree and Im in 13 hours a week. But I do spend a good 16 hours a week at home working on project work.

But I agree £3000 is an awful lot!!

flake_2

welf_man wrote: »

Absolutely - and it's not just administration, it's Halls upkeep, sports facilities, cleaning, portering, insurance .....

Also to make the block grant to the Students' Union, which helps to provide people like me - I'm a Welfare Adviser - social facilities, clubs, volunteering opportunities, representation .....

Advert over!

Mel.

Yeh and that's great and everything but then students are landed in like, £20 to 30,000 debt when they graduate, so that they could play sports and go to balls and stuff lol. Join our society you get loads of discounts, stay in halls it's cheaper....but hang on we're already paying thousands for this! And then some people don't go to uni now because the fees are so high. I'd bet they'd rather a degree with less frills than no degree at all.

I think debt is too much now and students are going in naively cos it's the done thing but will be in a panic when they graduate. Loads of graduates find it hard to get jobs now and the avg age to pay off the student loan is mid-30s i think.

Sigur_2

flake wrote: »

Yeh and that's great and everything but then students are landed in like, £20 to 30,000 debt when they graduate, so that they could play sports and go to balls and stuff lol. Join our society you get loads of discounts, stay in halls it's cheaper....but hang on we're already paying thousands for this! And then some people don't go to uni now because the fees are so high. I'd bet they'd rather a degree with less frills than no degree at all.

I think debt is too much now and students are going in naively cos it's the done thing but will be in a panic when they graduate. Loads of graduates find it hard to get jobs now and the avg age to pay off the student loan is mid-30s i think.

Many jobs require a degree. The only real complaint you can have is if you do a less respected degree, if you're studying a good degree at a good university you can expect to re-coup your "investment" (ie. tuition fees) quickly. I am looking at jobs that pay £45k after you've completed a one-year graduate program. If I didn't have a degree I'd probably never get the chance to apply for such jobs and would be earning £15k-£17k for a long time, with much more limited opportunities regarding promotions etc..

Universities actually make a large profit from their accomodation, and most sports team costs etc are covered by member contributions and contributions from the Union (who in turn get a percentage from the university, and other funds from profits made in the union through events). The Union isn't only about drinking and sports teams though, they have a lot of services to help students either through advice or financial help.

Compared the the US, we get off very lightly. I have no problem with tuition fees, I would argue that universities should be charging what they like and let the market decide what's a fair rate.

flake_2

Sigur wrote: »

Many jobs require a degree. The only real complaint you can have is if you do a less respected degree, if you're studying a good degree at a good university you can expect to re-coup your "investment" (ie. tuition fees) quickly. I am looking at jobs that pay £45k after you've completed a one-year graduate program.

So am i but we are in the minority.

That's interesting about the accomodation and sport thing didn't know that, thanx. So why are universities saying they need all this money then?? Are they inefficiently run. I don't think i get £12,000 worth of tuition.

I do not agree that unis should be able to charge what they like though like education is just another product with consumers. Education is important and efforts should be made to give it to everyone who wants it.

PayPeanuts_2

Its not school! Its university. I took politics at university so my 'contact hours' were minimal - they can only really teach you the framework and the rest has to be your own reading.

You pay for the whole package - the free IT systems and computer packages, the millions of library books, the laboratories and technical equipment, the expertise of the teaching staff, the research, the access to online materials, the access to the university community, the students union and the hundreds of subsidised trips, meals, beer, etc!

The_One_Who

flake wrote: »

Yeh and that's great and everything but then students are landed in like, £20 to 30,000 debt when they graduate, so that they could play sports and go to balls and stuff lol. Join our society you get loads of discounts, stay in halls it's cheaper....but hang on we're already paying thousands for this! And then some people don't go to uni now because the fees are so high. I'd bet they'd rather a degree with less frills than no degree at all.

The sport and other socialising activites are extra-curricular activites which are pretty much essential now, it's no good just having a good degree. University is more about the degree, but involves the numerous opportunities that most people will only get for those few years of their lives. Considering these things only cost a few pounds per year, it is well worth doing.

I agree with Sigur that universities should charge what they want and then let the market decide.