Grants to reimburse students/graduates who started uni between '98 and '06.

theamazinggem

Broke_Student wrote: »

If the funding these students were not getting at the time was not enough, then they should have spoke then.

there were actually quite large protests at the time. probably some of them contributed to the "better" situation you have now...

Broke_Student wrote: »

Things change with time - get over it!

what an interesting point of view.

i'd love to get over it, i've been trying to for years.

i'd also like to be able to change my bank account, get a mobile phone contract, get a mortgage without having to pay stupid interest and many other things that i am unable to do as a direct result of being underfunded at university.

and yes i worked. around 20-30 hours a week in a kitchen. and my grades suffered for it, which also affects the usefullness of said degree in my working life, now you mention it.

i realise that the world doesn't owe me a living, but the policy as it was at the time effectively punished those on low incomes from daring to try and educate themselves. while i agree that this group is unlikely to suceed, i'm certainly not going to berate them for trying, even if the only outcome is to highlight the injustice.

and yes, there are perhaps better ways of spending government money, but when you want a reduction in tax you don't worry about the nhs do you? when we go to war nobody mentions the drain on the economy do they? no, we save that for asylum seekers and imigrants and students and so on, just like we all hate benefit cheats but think rich people who avoid paying tax are just making smart business decisions.

don't worry about me though, i'm just jealous. of course. :rolleyes:

theamazinggem

basically a lot of this thread balances on whether you believe it is important for people of all class/wealth should have equal access to education or not.

to be honest i wouldn't now advise anyone in the position i was in to opt for a university education. i actually earn less than my friends who left school with a-levels.

Gemmzie

And if your personal income is under £15k and your prepared to work really hard, go with the OU, much cheaper and often better respected in the workplace.

melancholly

theamazinggem wrote: »

basically a lot of this thread balances on whether you believe it is important for people of all class/wealth should have equal access to education or not.

i definitely believe that equal access to education is vital - but i still think the petition will be effectively a waste of time and won't achieve anything! having been to uni in that window, i know how rubbish it all was, but i still see it as clutching at straws to expect any kind of financial recompense now.

theamazinggem

melancholly wrote: »

i definitely believe that equal access to education is vital - but i still think the petition will be effectively a waste of time and won't achieve anything! having been to uni in that window, i know how rubbish it all was, but i still see it as clutching at straws to expect any kind of financial recompense now.

agreed, i don't think anything will come of it at all, i just take exception to some of the attitudes on display.

Blacksheep1979

Obviously everyone should have equal access to education, but it should be quality education - none of this degree in teletubbies from the university of south huddersfield. If people want to do namby pamby courses then they should be available but not funded by taxpayers.