oxbridge?

virgin_moneysaver

my son has informed me that his teacher wants him to consider sitting the oxbridge test/exam?? - i haven't got a clue whats involved & I'm split between being pleasingly gobsmacked & desperately worrying how people like us can afford this - I'm a part-time cashier & my husband is a lorry driver - I don't feel I can ask my son too many questions as he's at that funny age(boy turning into man) & I don't want him to feel any pressure either way - he may feel he has to do it to please us or not to do it as we can't afford to fund him

anybody else been in the same situ

Teacher2301

If he goes to a comprehensive school with sixth form - it's probably his teacher wanting the best for him because he/she can see potential. However, with the recent press about state school pupils not going to oxbridge, I can see your worry and 'is your son being pushed' by a pushy school. Oxbridge opens doors (I never went but taught boys who did - and whom are now doctors, laywers artists and actors) and I would recommend anyone to go if they have the chance.

As far as I know there are no costs to doing the exams (most are done at college or school) but if successful, your son will have to travel to Oxford or Cambridge to be interviewed.

There was an Oxbridge myth many years ago about one question from an entrance exam... What is courage? Discuss. A young academic wrote...

This is courage.

And left the exam.

He got in.

virgin_moneysaver

I just wonder if the teacher has thought about funding before sowing the seed in my sons head

MrsManda

If your son decides he'd like to apply to oxbridge he needs to decide whether he wants to apply to Cambridge or Oxford, you can't do the both in the same year.
He needs to fill in the usual UCAS form and also an application directly to the oxbridge uni he's applying to - you can get them off their websites.
From what I've been told by people I've known who've gone to Cambridge, not all subjects require an exam/test on top of your A-levels. It depends on the subject.

You can find information about applying on the universities websites:
OXFORD
CAMBRIDGE

If it's something he wants to do and he gets in, you shouldn't have any more problems with funding him than if he went to any other university. It doesn't cost any more and there's actually more grants available from Oxbridge themselves than any other universities as they're trying to get the best students, not the richest.

Good luck to your son in whatever he wants to do

Gingernutmeg

Agree with Mrsmanda - don't worry about the funding. Oxbridge is no more expensive than going to any other university, and there are lots of grants available, on top of the ordinary student funding.. Also, given that most Oxbridge colleges provide accommodation for the duration of the whole degree, it can actually work out to be 'cheaper' than most universities, in terms of accommodation/living costs. So, don't worry about costs

melancholly

the main problem with a lack of state school pupils at oxbridge is due to so few applying! i think you should be really proud that you son has been suggested for this - whether or not he wants to go/does well on the exam, it means the teacher thinks very highly of him! i know how daunting the decision can be - i went to cambridge and no previous generation of my family had been to university so it's all a bit complicated and can be quite intimidating. don't let that scare you off!! the school sounds like they should be able to offer lots of helpful advice

i wouldn't worry about the cost though - there are a lot of scholarships/funds that oxbridge has specifically to help with access and probably more than at many other unis. the other thing to think of is the short terms - he won't be allowed a job while he's there (unless he does OTC, which is like the TA and pays you for the time you attend), but the terms are very short so there is a lot of time in the holidays to earn money - you also break up earlier than everyone else so can apply for jobs before lots of uni students break up.

here's the cambridge financial support website to give you an idea of what's out there:
http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/finance/support.html

Teacher2301

Don't worry about the costs though, like other posters it will cost the same as other universities but if your son joins loads of clubs, the cost can increase and don't forget about peer pressure - students who are rich have no money worries and will spend alot (and are attracted to Oxbridge). Therefore it might be an idea to discuss the idea of budgets whilst at (any) university and the importance of logging on to this website (ok maybe not).

melancholly

i think it's fair to say that all my friends at cambridge were always as broke as i was!!! the uni is very highly subsidised - e.g the gym i went to was £25 for the year (may have changed, it's been a few years). i had a rude shock when i did a postgrad coure elsewhere that wanted more than that a month!!! students also spend a lot of time working - more than at other places, so there isn't the same amount of free time to go shopping and things. i did some university sport and got money to help pay for kit and entrance fees to competitions. i guess i don't want the OP to think that the place is full of rich kids; it really isn't any worse than any other red brick uni for that and there are so many opportunities to get money to do activities if you look into it a little (from the colleges or the university as a whole).

ryandj

I might be wrong on this, but I think if the parents (ie you the OP) are on a low income, then you get some or all of the tuition fees paid for.

I went to uni, finished 3 years ago, and that was the case for me then. Then there was student loans, additional hardship loans and funds from the university, and evening, weekend and summer jobs! Thats what paid me through it, my parents werent able to give me any financial support apart from letting me stay rent free in the holidays and the odd £20 note now and again!

I am still paying off my student loan now but it comes straight out of my wages anyway, so I dont really notice it at all.

Helix

ryandj wrote: »

I might be wrong on this, but I think if the parents (ie you the OP) are on a low income, then you get some or all of the tuition fees paid for.

Things have changed now. No one gets there tuition fees paid for by the government. Its possible if you didn't have any living expenses to use the maintenance grant and bursary to pay the fees but not many people are in that position.

ryandj

O right - can students take a loan out for the fees from the students loan company?