Student protests planned on a national scale on 24 November

[dell12]

These courses are usually vocational, have a real work place application. The Government want more people to do vocational training rather than Uni by default, so where is the funding for these?

 

Probably went the same way as 80% of the funding for teaching in Universities.

[TeaFan]

It's considerably higher than most people in Sheffield earn. It's vastly higher than the amount at which you currently have to start paying the taxation which pays for university fees.

 

Sorry, I hadn't realised that this policy only applies to Sheffield. Can't see what all the fuss is about then.

[HeadingNorth]

Sorry, I hadn't realised that this policy only applies to Sheffield. Can't see what all the fuss is about then.

 

It applies nationally, but the people complaining about it are all doing so because "it hurts poor people." £21k a year is a long, long way from being poor. I live quite comfortably on less than half of it.

[harvey19]

It applies nationally, but the people complaining about it are all doing so because "it hurts poor people." £21k a year is a long, long way from being poor. I live quite comfortably on less than half of it.

 

I would like to hear the definition of what constitutes poor to posters who use the phrase.

Serious question.

[TeaFan]

It applies nationally, but the people complaining about it are all doing so because "it hurts poor people." £21k a year is a long, long way from being poor. I live quite comfortably on less than half of it.

 

All? I'm complaining about it because it's likely to put people from poorer backgrounds off applying. The average student debt on graduating for those who started their degree courses this year is estimated to be around £25,000. Add £27,000 on to that and that's a phenomenal amount of debt for someone in their early twenties to carry. That's 2.5 years of total salary for someone who makes it on to £21k. Debt is a risk, isn't that one thing that we can all agree needs to be learned from the recent financial crisis? Who is more vulnerable to financial risk - people from well-off families who are likely to be left an inheritance or given money by parents, or people from low-income families whose parents have no spare money?

[Tony]

How's that strange logic work?

 

Isn't the student loan the thing that actually empowers the poor to continue in education if they have talent?

[llamatron]

All? I'm complaining about it because it's likely to put people from poorer backgrounds off applying. The average student debt on graduating for those who started their degree courses this year is estimated to be around £25,000. Add £27,000 on to that and that's a phenomenal amount of debt for someone in their early twenties to carry. That's 2.5 years of total salary for someone who makes it on to £21k. Debt is a risk, isn't that one thing that we can all agree needs to be learned from the recent financial crisis? Who is more vulnerable to financial risk - people from well-off families who are likely to be left an inheritance or given money by parents, or people from low-income families whose parents have no spare money?

 

Explain how this is relevant being as if you lose your job, quit your job to raise a family, become sick or just choose to take a lower paid job you can stop paying it back or get it written off. Where is the risk to the ex student?

[mj.scuba]

All? I'm complaining about it because it's likely to put people from poorer backgrounds off applying. The average student debt on graduating for those who started their degree courses this year is estimated to be around £25,000. Add £27,000 on to that and that's a phenomenal amount of debt for someone in their early twenties to carry. That's 2.5 years of total salary for someone who makes it on to £21k. Debt is a risk, isn't that one thing that we can all agree needs to be learned from the recent financial crisis? Who is more vulnerable to financial risk - people from well-off families who are likely to be left an inheritance or given money by parents, or people from low-income families whose parents have no spare money?

 

If what you say is true about the £25k, lets assume for accommodation and other living costs, then that's a fixed cost anyway. They'll only have to start repaying the tuition fees when the start earning over a certain amount. And since £9k per annum is the cap, it's likely to be the top Universities charging that, and people attending a top University can expect to earn significantly more than say those attending 'Allum.

[TeaFan]

Explain how this is relevant being as if you lose your job, quit your job to raise a family, become sick or just choose to take a lower paid job you can stop paying it back or get it written off. Where is the risk to the ex student?

 

Hey, maybe you do financial planning differently to me. If I had £40K plus of debt in the background, I'd take that into account in the major life decisions. It would certainly restrict the choices I made, but maybe I'm just too prudent. Can't rely on others to bail me out.

[llamatron]

Hey, maybe you do financial planning differently to me. If I had £40K plus of debt in the background, I'd take that into account in the major life decisions. It would certainly restrict the choices I made, but maybe I'm just too prudent. Can't rely on others to bail me out.

 

Then it is clear you do not understand student loans.

 

They have no risks, they come out of your pay packet before you get the money and only when you have a very decent salary. You will not lose your house or anything else if you can't pay. Therefore you will never need to be bailed out. Unless you have a problem living on your wages but that is a completely different issue.