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University Fees


Guest LB
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Today has seen the announcement of the rise of university fees some going up to £4000p/a.

I have a 7 year old son and even if inflation stays at 3% for the next 11 years this means that fees could be nearing £5000 per year by the time he reaches university age but lets face it when do these things stick to inflation. I was fortunate enough to attend college which at the time was funded by my employer however if this was not the case, i could never have afforded the fees, let alone the books and all other costs that came with it.

Tony "Puppet" Blair has said that university should be open to anyone, but as an example, think of someone living in any deprived inner london area where money is spent on drugs, guns and the like, and imagine what could be done if education in schools instead of on the street were the norm for these people.

And precisely what is the £4000 per year per student to be spent on????

Our universities and university system is and should remain the envy of the world, after all, Bill Clinton sent his own daughter to be educated here. If we continue this rather silly course of charging for everything, what realistic hope has my son of attending university??????

p.s. Any donations to the Lived Backwards jr. university fund greatfully accepted.

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only thing I can say against that is because nearly all kids are going either to college or university somebody has to pay,thats a lot of money tax payers have got to pay,still think its a bit off though.

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Cheesy Tone promised last year that this would not happen................Another one of the Rt Rev B liar 's bullsh*tters.....

I graduated in the early 80's on a full grant.....As my father died when I was 15 ,there was no way I would have been able to make the most of this educational opportunity, without the financial assistance of a fully funded degree .

Had it been a loan I probably would have learnt a trade on the job.

Its DEEPLY WRONG for a Labour government to be doing this !

And denying this opportunity to all .....!....

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I meant to say who SHOULD pay for it?

I can understand free education up to the age of 18 but after that I believe it's up to the individual taking the course whether, in the end, it will be worth their while, in terms of status/income etc, to take out a personal loan, government or otherwise, or get a job and rise through the ranks.

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yes but the problem is almost every one leaving school is going into futher education,like cookie says this is costing big money and its ok for them when they leave with passes and get a highly paid job but thats not much help to people struggling with taxes in a poorly paid job.

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yes free education in a ideal world,do we not pay taxes for the health service and lets face it if you want a operation your best going private,in the end every single thing is going to cost I think I would prefer more money put into the nhs rather than futher education but thats just my personal opinion.

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it had to happen sometime......i mean we've got Tony Blair with his tongue wedged so fay up 'Dubya's' Backside he can taste what he had for breakfast! he just wants everything to be the same as the good ol US of A - War, Gun Crime, Inflation and College Fee's.

Good on ya Tony....NOT!!!!!!!!!

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A male aged 24 goes to University for three years and comes out with a BSc (Hons) Astronomy.

He can't find a job in this field and is over qualified for many other jobs.

Should we, the taxpayer, have paid for this apparent waste?

I don't think so, as with many of the other courses they are a waste of time.

Luckily we didn't have to pay. He started work, after leaving college, and saving £12000 by the age of 24 to pay his own way.

Oh, by the way, it's my son I've been talking about and although I'm quite pleased he did very well, I still believe he wasted 3 years of his life and could have wasted £££'s of taxpayers money.

By all means give interest free loans which can be paid back once they start work.

If I decided to go to evening classes I would have to pay, if I wanted to become a lorry driver or bus driver, I would have to pay for lessons. Or should I get it free under the guise of further education? I think not.

Cookie has now left the soap box. :lol:

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I'm all for the system we used to have: no tuition fees for British nationals no matter what their ability to pay, but grants for those whose parents could not afford to pay for their son's/daughter's living expenses. Also, those who meet the standards for entry being offered a place - those who can't aren't accepted.

I think that what's happening in Higher Education is what has all ready happened in and ruined Further Education. In FE they foster the notion that any one can enrol on any course no matter what their ability. Thus we end up with a lowering of standards because the Government "pay colleges by results". Hence if the students aren't up to passing a course then lower the standards so that they do. Also cost-cuttting by using poorly qualified and motivated staff - after all they don't need to be to qualified if the standards are low. Also examination by assessment (because it can be fiddled) rather than by proper examination. End result: people with a qualification who cannot do the job they've been trained for.

Universities will be penalised for not taking in "those who would not normally be expected to go to University" - hence, they will lower the standards and get "bums on seats." (It's all ready happening by the way). Yes, HE will go the way of FE - lots of cash spent and no gains made. Everyone will be qualified but won't have the ability to do a job of work. The only difference will be that they will now have paid toward their own failure.

Any youngster (or mature person) who has the ability and the necessary qualificationsto go into Higher Education should be encouraged and supported every step of the way. Those who haven't should be discouraged.

I shall now step down from my hobby-horse. Thank you for you patience. :rolleyes:

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Well yes and no, he's really pleased he did it but at the moment he's wondering if it was worth it. There isn't much call for Astronomers at the job centre. He also found that when applying for jobs he wasn't getting any replies until he left the BSc off his CV.

I found out earlier from him that he also had to have a £8000 student loan. The rent was high for the second and third year when he had to go 'private'.

So a total cost of £20000. He's still in contact with a number of the friends he made and they all have similar stories. I wonder what percentage of students go on to 'make it'?

Imagine if Family A with no children had to subsidise family B with 2 or 3 children at University. No, I still say over 18's should have to, one way or the other, pay for their own further education.

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Out of the 20 who graduated with me in 1985 in Geology , only 2 of us got a job related to their degree (Not me)........

No regrets whatsoever ......But the decision to go on to further education should be one based on ability, not finance !

Standards are lower now though....... to get in !....Maybe this should be looked at?

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Out of the 20 who graduated with me in 1985 in Geology , only 2 of us got a job related to their degree

Tankus, exactly.

It is all about finance, those that can pay should pay and those that can't should be means tested. That way so called 'working class kids', with ability, wouldn't lose out and those with rich 'daddies'/'mummies' can be financed by their parents.

Maybe companies should bring back apprenticeships, which were killed off by the unions for demanding almost equal wages for the trainees. That way they can learn the job whilst getting paid on an upwards sliding scale.

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If the ability IS there, then yes, some sort of assistance should be available for those that don't have the financial support, but those that have the wherewithal to contribute should.

Maybe I'm just jealous tho, I left school at 16 after 'O' levels but being one of a largish family couldn't afford to remain at school whilst siblings were growing up, I had to contribute to the household income.

I still feel that education should be free , but where will the finances come from?

More youngsters staying in education, more pensioners living longer, those in the middle, the workers having to support an ever growing population of non workers.

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More youngsters staying in education, more pensioners living longer, those in the middle, the workers having to support an ever growing population of non workers.

Mark2, unfortunately the 'goal posts' have been moved.

I left school at 15, got a job straight away and still working. I've paid taxes and NI all my life.

1. Part of the NI was to be put away for my future retirement pension.

I started a Private Pension about 12 years ago when I saw how things were going

2. Prescriptions were FREE.

3. Dentists were FREE

4. NH spectacles FREE

5. Retirement age would be 65. i.e 50 years at work.

Now it appears you work 'til you drop.

I'll tell you what mate, I'm going to have trouble getting through another couple of years at work, let alone 5 or even more.

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