Eskimo Day

[sensiblecat]

A Level Results are out, and Becky's definitely going to Edinburgh Uni. She's delighted, it's the only place she really wanted to go, because the course is perfect for her.

It's going to be hard work. She's reading German, EU Politics and Scandinavian Studies. It fascinates me that both the kids have fallen in love with Nordic countries - Tom always

Comments

[sensiblecat]

About two years ago, the coalition Government tackled the issue of student tuition fees, which was hugely controversial - they had been pegged at under £4K a year for domestic students, which had led to most universities being chronically underfunded. Universities are now allowed to charge up to £9,000 a year - most of them charge up to the limit, since to do otherwise carries the implication that you're a second-grade institution.

Student grants have been replaced by government-funded, low-interest student loans, which are repayable when the graduate crosses an income threshold (I think it's around £30K per annum). Of course, cynics will point out this is a huge disincentive to graduates to take well-paid jobs, and I suspect that this will come to bite the government in the ass in a few years' time, particularly if the general economic outlook doesn't improve.

The student loan doesn't provide enough for maintenance - in the case of our son, who is 3 years older, we've had to pay for his accommodation ourselves. If we couldn't afford to do so, he would have to get a job or drop out. Even with our significant subsidy, he'll start his working life heavily in debt. And that's before he thinks about getting a mortgage.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Scotland and Wales, though they aren't entirely independent states, have their own Assemblies and have both elected to cap the fee at £6K for domestic students. Hence the appeal, for the better Scottish universities, of shopping south of the border, since we'd have to pay £9K anyway.

This is the first academic year that the new rise has kicked in - last year there was a frantic scramble for university places for obvious reasons.

It's certainly a very different situation to the one I was in as an undergrad in the late 1970s, when my entire tuition fee and a generous maintenance allowance was paid by the State.

[sykira]

Wow...so depressing. But very clearly explained, thanks for that. So does that mean it's harder for Welsh and Scottish students to get into Welsh and Scottish unis?
Craziness.