Poor students? Aren't nearly ALL students poor?

[quisquose]

Are there any others who, like me, feel a little bit uneasy about the continuous reference to “poor students” in the news? Okay, I know the proper term is supposed to be “students from disadvantaged backgrounds” or “students from poor backgrounds”, but at the end of the day they are still adults.

 

If my children work hard enough to earn a place at university, then irrespective of their mum and dad’s incomes or parenting abilities, they will still become poor adults and rank equally with all the other poor adults that undertake a university course.

 

I know of no young adults from middle-class families, who are financially supported by their parents to any great extent. Not just because it's so expensive, but because parents recognise their children have become adults ready to stand on their own two feet. Why should some adults be treated more favourably than others merely based on the incomes and competences of some other adults?

 

Access to healthcare is not determined by the wealth of your parents, neither are welfare benefits. The minimum wage is not structured differently for people based on the wealth of their parents.

 

It seems to me that universities are being asked to undertake some sort of social engineering experiment in a manner that would be obviously unfair if was any other service.

[Tomataheeed]

Are there any others who, like me, feel a little bit uneasy about the continuous reference to “poor students” in the news? Okay, I know the proper term is supposed to be “students from disadvantaged backgrounds” or “students from poor backgrounds”, but at the end of the day they are still adults.

 

If my children work hard enough to earn a place at university, then irrespective of their mum and dad’s incomes or parenting abilities, they will still become poor adults and rank equally with all the other poor adults that undertake a university course.

 

I know of no young adults from middle-class families, who are financially supported by their parents to any great extent. Not just because it's so expensive, but because parents recognise their children have become adults ready to stand on their own two feet. Why should some adults be treated more favourably than others merely based on the incomes and competences of some other adults?

 

Access to healthcare is not determined by the wealth of your parents, neither are welfare benefits. The minimum wage is not structured differently for people based on the wealth of their parents.

 

It seems to me that universities are being asked to undertake some sort of social engineering experiment in a manner that would be obviously unfair if was any other service.

 

Thats a very good question. Once they hit 18 surely they are adults, and their income/wealth is an individual calculation, and not a household calculation.

 

It doesn't work like this for 18 year olds obviously, so at what age is the person considered on their own individual circumstances rather than the circumstances of their parents?

[TJC1]

The reason is because if every 18 year old was treated on individual income, everyone would get Uni subsidies and full loan amoutns. There has to be some measures in place so students from poorer backgrounds get whats entitled to them. Of course they pay back more than richer students so the systems not infallible. But there it is.