Student Fees

[Bengie]

Should students have to pay for University themselves or should the taxpayer fork out money to send them.

I don't mind my taxes being used for education, but University is not education, it is job training, and as such should be paid for by the student.

I think we would all be up in arms if Tesco billed everyone to pay for training their checkout girls.
A letter in the local press moaned that a friend could not get a grant because she already had a degree from 10 years ago.
So all that money was spent to train her for an occupation and now she has decided that she no longer wants to do that but wants to do something else instead and expects the taxpayer to fund it.

Get real.

[Russ B]

What an amazing shortage of home-grown doctors we'd have if we went along with that.

[Kliro]

Originally Posted by Bengie

Should students have to pay for University themselves or should the taxpayer fork out money to send them.

I don't mind my taxes being used for education, but University is not education, it is job training, and as such should be paid for by the student.

I think we would all be up in arms if Tesco billed everyone to pay for training their checkout girls.
A letter in the local press moaned that a friend could not get a grant because she already had a degree from 10 years ago.
So all that money was spent to train her for an occupation and now she has decided that she no longer wants to do that but wants to do something else instead and expects the taxpayer to fund it.

Get real.

Change the record.

Most students end up repaying these taxes through their own taxes during their lifetime.

University is an education, not just some drunken party fest that you've been led to believe. And I'd say a large number of students are required to have this level of education for a variety of jobs without which you wouldn't be able to live as comfortably as you do.

Also - if universities were completely self funded it would lead to poorer students being unable to get the career they want, and essentialy widen the rich/poor divide.


Don't forget - the average student is now paying about 6K/year before they even think about food etc.

[Strzelecki]

Originally Posted by Bengie

I think we would all be up in arms if Tesco billed everyone to pay for training their checkout girls.

They do indirectly, it's built into the prices you pay for goods. I guess you never went to university, or at least you went when there were grants. I now have to pay back £14,000 in student loan, I worked throughout my time at uni so I could eat and I paid my taxes and still no one will pay me a decent wages as 'I have no commercial experience'. So why did I go to university? Because I was lead to believe it would give me better job prospoects. The best thing it did do was kick start me into being independant.
I'm still not sure whether we should pay for other students to go to university, it would have been nice from my point of view but they'll always be people who waste it and might never pay it back in taxes. There are people now who get the full loan, mummy and daddy give the loads of cash (what's means testing for?), they get it paid off when they finish and they still don't have a clue about life (or how to cook).

[sarahlouise45]

I went to univerisity and I now have to pay back £20,000!!!

[Dan_Sette]

Originally Posted by Kliro

Change the record.

University is an education, not just some drunken party fest that you've been led to believe. And I'd say a large number of students are required to have this level of education for a variety of jobs without which you wouldn't be able to live as comfortably as you do.

Lets have a look at the latest courses from the University of Leeds.

"A whole range of degree courses from Film Studies to Forensic Psychology, Sports Development to Sports Journalism and Media studies to Management. Browse our list of courses, look in detail at what modules you can choose to study."

A lot of students are willing to run into debt while at university to get a better, if not highly paid job. I run a firm that is unique in that it employs post grad engineers (willing to study for a masters) and lab technicians (4 gcse's required).

Those with degrees earn, on average, £38k pa after ten years (they start, fresh out of "Uni" on £25k.) I encourage and sponsor them to get their masters degree. A £20k debt (which seems a little extreme) can be paid off over ten years at slightly more that £2k (not a big dent.)

The techs, however earn better than minimum wage (I don't want to lose them after I've trained them.) Top whack is £14k.

Now, explain to me again how a uni education either doesn't earn you more or is worth paying for.

Dan

[Florence]

My daughter is starting Uni this September she is doing psychology and education with plans to either teach or become a child psychologist.

When she finishes Uni she will have debts of over £24,000 she is paying for Uni tuition fees as all students do which is now £3,000 per term. This does not take into account any books pens etc she will need.


Uni Students are not getting an easy ride get off their backs and leave them be.

[Kliro]

Originally Posted by Dan_Sette

Now, explain to me again how a uni education either doesn't earn you more or is worth paying for.

Dan

Where do I disagree with this?

Would you prefer students to leave uni with 60k worth of debt??

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Bengie

Should students have to pay for University themselves or should the taxpayer fork out money to send them.

I don't mind my taxes being used for education, but University is not education, it is job training, and as such should be paid for by the student.

I think we would all be up in arms if Tesco billed everyone to pay for training their checkout girls.
A letter in the local press moaned that a friend could not get a grant because she already had a degree from 10 years ago.
So all that money was spent to train her for an occupation and now she has decided that she no longer wants to do that but wants to do something else instead and expects the taxpayer to fund it.

Get real.

You have totally the wrong point about education including a universtity degree.Education is for life..not for the variety of jobs you may have in a long life but just for the sake of learning something that will stay part of you until the day you die.

As an educator I resent the idea that I'm just training folk to go out and get a job.I'm not, I'm educating the person to try and be the best that they can be in a full life, half of which will be spent in retirement.

I resent the fact that only the rich can now get a full and enriched education.Unless of course, you live north of the border.

I soo hate Tony sobs for the rest of the world but can't give a stuff for this country's students Blair.

[homealone]

I had a grant to do my HND, & got around 30 hours a week tuition, including about 12 hours practical sessions (pilot plant & laboratory based). I passed.

My son paid to do his HND & got around 15 hours a week tuition, with no campus based practical work, just a 'project' to do. He failed.

Who got 'better' educated?

[Damien]

Originally Posted by Florence

My daughter is starting Uni this September she is doing psychology and education with plans to either teach or become a child psychologist.

When she finishes Uni she will have debts of over £24,000 she is paying for Uni tuition fees as all students do which is now £3,000 per term. This does not take into account any books pens etc she will need.


Uni Students are not getting an easy ride get off their backs and leave them be.

the books would come out of the loan?

[littld]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

You have totally the wrong point about education including a universtity degree.Education is for life..not for the variety of jobs you may have in a long life but just for the sake of learning something that will stay part of you until the day you die.

Don't agree. University education is a nice to have for the well off who can afford it.

It is divisive to society and suggests a superiority of intellect which is simply not real.

Finally, it is less relevant and useful than travelling round the world and seeing it for yourself. And no-one's handing out grants for me to do that, are they?

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by littld

Finally, it is less relevant and useful than travelling round the world and seeing it for yourself. And no-one's handing out grants for me to do that, are they?

They are however offering funding to the less well off to be able to go to university.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by littld

Don't agree. University education is a nice to have for the well off who can afford it.

It is divisive to society and suggests a superiority of intellect which is simply not real.

Finally, it is less relevant and useful than travelling round the world and seeing it for yourself. And no-one's handing out grants for me to do that, are they?

How do you justify that? If I'd gone travelling round the world instead of going to university (for which I didn't receive a grant, by the way), would I now be earning the fairly decent salary that I am now? Would I have gained the experience necessary to do the job that I'm now doing, which I have received as a direct result of achieving the qualifications I have and my subsequent career path?

While I find it difficult to agree with the concept of students paying for their own fees, I believe that it may help to prevent the number of people who drop out - if you're paying for it, you'll be more likely to finish the course (if you're able to, of course). All IMO, obviously

[Kliro]

Originally Posted by Damien

the books would come out of the loan?

For most people the loan barely covers the accomodation fees, and sometimes it doesn't even cover that.