Top up fees

Originally Posted by ntluser

snip

Most of the measures the government has introduced have been aimed at raising cash, because essentially, after all the money they have wasted, they no longer have the funds to finance the manifesto they campaigned on at the election.

snip

This was one of the promises in the last election, that he would not touch tuition fees

[luftys]

Originally Posted by col d

This was one of the promises in the last election, that he would not touch tuition fees

Guess wat he lied

[Julian]

Originally Posted by luftys

Guess wat he lied

Again and again and again.

[Alan Waddington]

I believe that the aim is to get about 50% of school leavers in further education, but wonder whether every 2nd job in the country really needs a degree. Surely there's going to be a lot of folks that just scrape through & never get that high paying job, but still drag home enough to have to pay back their £20k.

What a ghastly decision to have to evaluate when you're 18.

Alan

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by ntluser

A degree is not the gateway to success it used to be. Lots of people have proved that they can earn loads of money without one.
<snip>

...and even more have proved that you can still earn b*gger all money with one. I am worried that this will stop people taking up courses in arts and humanities, which would be a great shame.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Julian

Again and again and again.

What? A govornment? Surely not!
Of course, with this kind of thing going on, anything could happen!

[ntluser]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

...and even more have proved that you can still earn b*gger all money with one. I am worried that this will stop people taking up courses in arts and humanities, which would be a great shame.

I think the way things are the worry is whether young people will want to take up ANY courses under these conditions.

We could be faced with a situation where fewer people, whether from middle or working class backgrounds, get to university. That would have massive implications for society.

[Ramrod]

from todays Times:

Student medics could owe £64,000 : BMA

Medical students could face debts of up to £64,000 under the Government's controversial plans to introduce university top-up fees, the British Medical Association warned. The BMA's medical students committee calculated the potential effects of variable fees on levels of student debt among those taking courses of five or six years to become a doctor. They found that a medical student in London whose parents earned £30,000 between them could leave university owing up to £64,661 - 44% higher than debts currently and three times the basic salary of a first year doctor.

I am a president of a students' union in greater manchester, I cannot believe that people are favour of top-up fees, nor do they fully understand what the bill means for education.

While the bill includes the removal of up-front fees, the fees need to be paid back at a rate which is supposed to be generous, which to be honest isn't, include a young family, taxation, a mortgage, living expensives, commitments, and the repayments this will leave people poorer.

Variable fees of up-to £3,000 on university courses is a solution of which I cannot understand, take my example, more money is needed, but universities will be giving back a bursary which will be capped at 10%, so thats £300, and if the student was to receive the full £1250 means test grant for there fees, money which they won't see, that will leave the system back where it currently is.

Middle class families, families like my own, will lose out, while the richer will be able to pay, I won't. I already have to pay £1,125 for my fees per year, which my family cannot afford, although the governments says they can. I receive the lowest student loan threshold, £3,000, which doesn't cover the cost of accomondation, and my fees alone. What happens with all the stationary I need for my course, course expenses such as books, researching etc. general living expenses such as travelling, food, phone bills, heating, lighting, water etc. I am under a scheme that leaves me £2,000+ poorer a year, and the governments proposals won't help they will only make it worse, I will not be entitled to any grants. I will be paying more for my education, and be more in debt. FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

The system of education is changing, where currently people enter HE into degrees, there will be more call for students to enter foundation degree, to gain more basic skills, to develop themselves for the degree course, this will mean more time at university, which is more money.

More food for thought, what happens if a student achieves below standard in a semester due to illness, family problems, stress, death to family etc. believe me it happens, and it can effect students for years not months, I know because I see them everyday.

I wasn't going to post to this thread mainly because I can barely keep my temper together over this issue.

However I will say that thus far you have all raised the points that I would have and still don't think the present,present,present dammit (there isn't even a smiley that covers what they are....) ****ing,greedy,lying,cheating,****poor excuse for a government.

Incog.

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I wasn't going to post to this thread mainly because I can barely keep my temper together over this issue.

However I will say that thus far you have all raised the points that I would have and still don't think the present,present,present dammit (there isn't even a smiley that covers what they are....) ****ing,greedy,lying,cheating,****poor excuse for a government.

Incog.

Hear Hear. Can the Government honestly think that they can get away with all of this, and still stay in power. I don't think a lot of people want to go back to the days with the Tories, so that only leaves Lib Dems, so that pretty much means the UK is screwed.

[Dupre]

As a student who is already paying fees and is in employment.

They're an aweful idea, they ARE going to discourage "normal" working and middle class people from going, and will force people to goto the "lesser" universities, HOWEVER, what noone seems to realise is that this 3billion shortfall universities need is not that the "better" ones need more than the lesser ones, but that they ALL need more cash, so you'll see Newcastle to Central Lancs to Oxford all charging £3000 eventually. Noone will charge £1000 at all.

Im in favour of us students paying it back, but if we do earn over £15,000 (then we start paying back 42% of out income. thats more than someone earning £100,00 0 a year! and thats NOT our top rate of tax, if i earn £100,00 0 i would end up paying about 60% of my income to the government, so whats the point of going to university in the 1st place? i could work in a shoe shop and earn £15,000 and only pay something like 20% tax and be better off than someone earning that and with a degree.

[Shaun]

I'm at Uni, and have no problem paying for my degree when I finish it, after all, the poxy £500 student load I get is hardly going to cripple me is it?

Another point is that you will be able to pay back your fees AFTER you graduate, rather than while you study, thats got to be a good thing

[Julian]

Originally Posted by Dupre

As a student who is already paying fees and is in employment.

They're an aweful idea, they ARE going to discourage "normal" working and middle class people from going, and will force people to goto the "lesser" universities, HOWEVER, what noone seems to realise is that this 3billion shortfall universities need is not that the "better" ones need more than the lesser ones, but that they ALL need more cash, so you'll see Newcastle to Central Lancs to Oxford all charging £3000 eventually. Noone will charge £1000 at all.

Im in favour of us students paying it back, but if we do earn over £15,000 (then we start paying back 42% of out income. thats more than someone earning £100,00 0 a year! and thats NOT our top rate of tax, if i earn £100,00 0 i would end up paying about 60% of my income to the government, so whats the point of going to university in the 1st place? i could work in a shoe shop and earn £15,000 and only pay something like 20% tax and be better off than someone earning that and with a degree.

I'm puzzled here, where do you get the 42% of income figure from please?

afaik it is 9% of disposable income.

That means a person earning 20000 per annum would pay back about £74.00 a month.

BTW I am not in favour of the system - just asking.

[deadite66]

i think they should have done it differently.
jobs the country needs (Doctors, Teachers etc..) should be free as long as you sign up to the nhs/school etc for a minimum number of years.

any one else to want to take a media studies, beckham nonsense type courses should pay the full wack.