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In what
is being seen as a Government U-turn, up-front tuition fees, currently
£1,100 a year, will be dropped and maintenance grants will be brought
back for the very poorest.
| Tuition
fees 2002-03 |
Nil if parents' income is less than £20,480
Sliding scale up to £1,100 on incomes over £30,502 |
But
universities will be allowed to charge higher fees - capped at £3,000
to £4,000, it is thought - all to be repaid out of graduate earnings.
It is expected that the fees will be covered by a loan which people
will start to repay once their earnings reach a certain level, perhaps
£12,000.
>>>
Manchester has one of the largest student populations in Europe,
with over 78,000 people choosing to study at one of the area's four
universities. At
the moment, less than half of students pay full tuition fees, currently
pegged at £1,100. Fees for poorer students are met by the government.
But cash-strapped universities say they may need to charge students
extra on top of this to meet their shortfalls in funding, unless
more money comes from the government.
Is it fair to saddle our future citizens
and their families with so much debt? Will it really deter students
from going to university?
Have your say >>>
From
Auryn Hughes in beeston
I agree that some students dont get time to work. They are the ones
doing the highly intellectual degrees so why isnt there a distinction
between, hard working individuals and their slacking counterparts.
Why doesnt the university voice a more democratic presence, we all
hvae different views but we only hear from the minority (Anti-war).
isn't there a way the rest of the student community can voice its
opinion without haggling and immature shouting by the minority (anti-war/ineducated)
peoples of this university.
From
Nixon in Manchester
Once 18 we are seen as adults by the government so why is it we are
still jugded by the income of are parents even after we are independent.
I dont want my parents being forced to support me
From
Cheryl in Manchester
I am a student and I have to admit yes I do find I have time on my
hands but I try to work when I can. It still doesn't help though.
The government are after more working class people to stay in higher
education but they're put off by the huge debt they're going to be
in at the end of it all. I'm only in my first year and I've already
incurred £3000 debt. I have no idea how I'll pay this back. Someone
from the government (I can't remember who) said the reason less people
attended University was because of the exam situation but that is
very wrong. They should come and talk to the students about it instead
of just assuming. The reason less people go to University is because
of the money.
From
Helen in Bury
For goodness sake stop your blessed complaining get off your backsides.Work
and study do go hand in hand,but you cant add t.v. regular nights
out and a hot social life,now can you?The word is priorities.
From
Anhtony Tramontana in Bolton
Im a mature student doing a full time course and work 40 - 50 hour
week too so I dont incur any debt throughout my studies. I see students
everyday with time on their hands to work but instead choose not to.
That is their perogative but they shouldnt expect the average man
in the street to subsidise their lifestlye. They have to take responsibility
for your own life and not expect other people to pay for it.
From
Helenna, Bristol
I am livid. Where has socialism gone? They continue to disenfrandhise
huge sectors of society and then scratch their heads when turnout
is low. Lucky old Ewan, I wouldn't mind a nice flat overlooking the
docks in one of thee most expensive places in Bristol from my daddy
either. The elite continue to stuff the masses.
From
Chris West, Birmingham
Tony Blair and the labour governement have tragically lost touch with
the public lately, over the economy, transport, Iraq, and now the
final straw, tuition fees. A number of my student friends are labour
voters, but i think after today many will have lost confidence with
the labour governement... You only have to look at the new graffiti
on the wall of Birmingham university to demonstrate the frustration
we feel.
From
Annie Wallace, Manchester
To Anonymous: I'm a full-time student at the Man Met. I do not have
the luxury of the two-day-a-week course. Mine is a 9-5, 5 day per
week slog. That means no job, other than night work, which would be
a huge strain on the body. Basically, the student loans must either
RISE, to at least £8000 per year, or we should start getting 50% loan,
50% grant. Oh, and BTW, we don't ALL have parents we can fall back
on for subsidies, and for those of us who don't, the financial position
is CRIPPLING!
From
Student in the UK
If, as the government claims, students go on to earn up to half
a million pounds more during their lifetime than someone who is not
university educated, surely we pay for our education through an increased
rate of income tax.
From
A student in Manchester
When my dad died during my GCSEs, money he payed into a pension
scheme came to me and my brothers. This money just about pays for
daily expenses such as food, washing, etc. while I'm at uni. As this
is counted as unearned income to me, my widowed and unemployed mum
has to pay my fees entirely; £1,100 each year for the next four, and
the price is bound to go up within that time. Plus, my brother starts
next year. That will be £2,200 a year There's something up with the
system when families who lose a parent have to pay more than families
with two incomes that may happen to fall on the right side of a threshold.
If we are to pay tuition fees (I don't think we should. Can you really
put a price on education? Especially in a world where degrees matter
when getting the smallest of jobs.) the system should be fairer. I'm
growing tired of this govt. Perhaps they should stop trying to impress
the Americans and turn their thoughts to the poverty they're creating
in their own country.
From
Anonymous
i dont see how my fellow students get in debt, yes there is the student
loan which you pay peanuts for and that does cover accomodation and
food, but if you get aoff your bum and got a job then there shouldnt
be a problem. im a full time student and im in a maximum of two days
a week leaving me another three days to work to pay for food and entertainment
which is enough, il never be rich while im here but im happy. students
should learn to olook after money, i know a man who got his £1000
student loan and on the first night managed to spend £400 on drinks.
From
Berne, Canberra, Australia (formerly of Timperley Cheshire)
I am disappointed that working people in England are still being penalised
by the government. All they want is a decent education so they can
get a job! For the last 20 yrs I have lived in Canberra, Australia.
Thanks to my parents who chose to emigrate to give their children
more opportunities. It has progressively got worse here too. Money
has been bled from the poor in the form of HECS (higher education
contribution). In simple terms a graduate debt which rises each year.
When will the government do something for the working people of Manchester?
From
Vicky, Stockport
The way things are going, we won't be able to send my 10 year old
step-daughter to university if she wishes to go. I finished university
7 years ago & am still paying off student loans now. I still had to
get 2 part time jobs while at university to be able to live. I wasn't
entitled to a grant so Mum & Dad just paid the rent money every month
as that's all they could afford - I had to come up with everything
else. There's no way I could have paid tuition fees aswell. As always
the rich will be given the opportunities to get better jobs & those
that can't afford further education won't. Why do the rich always
get richer and the poor, poorer?
From
Janet, Bury
I am the parent of 2 students. Both do music courses. Neither will
get the type of lucrative employment the government thinks all students
get. The first thing that is wrong is the government's policy of 50%
in HE. This just devalues the first degree.and causes an excess of
useless badly taught courses. However, if the unis are strapped for
cash there should be a graduate tax so that those doing lucrative
degrees will pay more from their high earnings.
From
BJ Brown, Manchester
policies for student funding and top up fees are outrageous. The only
result will be an even greater class divide. My two chhildren have
debts of 35 000.00 between them or studying for master's degrees and
I am at university myself. We are from a low income single parent
family and financially vulnerable. If I was from a working class background
we would not have been able to even contemplate going to university.
having to work part time while doing a full time course means that
the final grade is likely to be adversly affected. Lower income students
will be channelled into inferior universities in areas where the cost
of living is also cheeper. The wealthy will populate the elitist institutions.
The quality of degrees is generally dubbed down in a bid to send more
people to universities. Politechnics should have remained so. My experience
is that the quality of students is not managed. poor students should
be kicked out or not accepted in the! first place and the resourses
should be concentrated on able student with equal chance whatever
their social class.
From
Paul, Manchester
Students are virtually all adults (i.e. 18 or over) so why is it expected
that parents will continue to fund their education? I went to university
between 1993-1998 and my parents refused to provide me with any money
- I could not force them to so I was stuck between a 'rock and a hard
place'. I couldn't force the Council to provide me with a grant despite
not receiving anything from my parents. I ended up getting about £16,000
in debt. The system doesn't work. I cannot see why a graduate tax
could not be imposed on anything that you earn above the national
average wage.
From
john smith in rochdale
I am both a parent of a student and a low paid uni teacher,close to
retirement. My salary is not high but just enough to recieve no help
from the local authority. I HAVE TO PAY ALL his fees, living accomodation,
books, food and beer. This takes up all the students loan available
and much more. I could not possibly afford to pay any more. He is
studying music and so the chances of him being able to pay back the
loan is small because the positions open to him on qualification do
not pay well.
From
Katherine in Manchester
Do the figures published regarding the debts that "most" students
graduate with just cover Student Loans or does it also include Student
Overdrafts? As a student who graduated 3 years ago with no debt -
yes I was lucky - I find most of the complaints quite hard to give
credit to. I was lucky that my parents were prepared to pay for my
accommodation and tuition fees were paid for by my local authority.
However I also found myself a number of jobs which helped fund my
other living costs. This included Bar and shop work. As both of these
were evening jobs it also helped to curb any real possibility of using
those magical interest free overdrafts that EVERY bank now offers.
As far as I can remember this was the real cause of mounting debt
with my fellow students. Many seemed to feel it was their right to
visit every single club night within a 30 mile radius, complete with
new outfit and a wallet full of money for drinks. I am aware that
this is not necessarily the norm, but graduates who use their degrees
(and many do not) can expect to substantially increase their earnings
so why shouldn't they pay for this advantage? I have other friends
who did take out student loans and are on wages of 25-30k and a still
deferring their initial payments. And thay have told me that student
loans are not dealt with as "true" debt when applying for mortgages
etc. Going straight to University is not the only way to get a degree
many companies allow day release and help pay tuition fees. There
is more than one way do do everything and whilst it might make life
a bit more difficult for a while, student life is supposed to be a
life building experience isn't it?
From
Sarah in Nottingham
It doesnt make sense to me. Im a student in Nottingham, my brothers
a student in Manchester. Hes paying uni fees to be allowed to work
for the NHS for peanuts. Doesnt seem right really when he'll be spending
all his time trying to help others and he still gets to be in debt
for the priviledge. I'm in the same boat as he is - I just hope Tony
Blair doesnt need any medical help in a few years, I'll have no other
choice than to charge top whack rates to try and pay off my 14 grand
of uni debt!
From
Mark
Thousands of university students are already in thousands of pounds
worth of dept due to the current loan system, to put more fanancail
pressure on students is stupid. Maybe the goverment should think about
investing in teachers, engineers, doctors and politicans today which
can only help the country in years to come.
From
Paul Brearley in Manchester
I thought Labours election promise in 1997 was "education, education,
education". Well perhpas after this it will only aply if you have
no money or are rolling in it, anyone in the middle (which is most
of us) won't be able to have "education, education, education"
From
Mat in Manchester
The government keep wanting more and more people to go to university.
This simply devalues a degree and means that the government cannot
afford to give grants or pay universities the tuition fees. The only
solutions are to change the policy on making more and more people
go to uni or to give less money per student. The public can't be charged
any more for our education.
From
Bob Hewitt in Hazel Grove
I assume Tony Blairs battlecry of "Education, education, education"
referred to Nursery, Primary and Junior school and he deliberately
missed the other three "educations" for high school, 6th Form and
University. My son has been in the school year that has met all the
changes, the first to do the SAT tests, the first to do the now infamous
AS levels As a result of all the confusion and the scheduling of exams
(three in one afternoon scheduled for the same time!!) my son failed
to get the required grades for the course he wanted to do (a "useful"
course - Chemistry) he has therefore stayed on at 6th form to do resits
and hopefully will get to University next September. My daughter will
finish her AS,A levels the following year and also looks forward to
going to University. Except they are both having second thoughts,
they don't want crippling debts when they leave University at a time
when they may also be looking to buy a house/flat - my wife and I
are hoping to have the money to cover the debts they will incur under
the current system, but add another £3/4000 per year each and theres
no chance!!
From
Becca in Manchester
Yes, I think that the students have a right to hold these manifestations.
Increasing the tuition fees causes further problems, as if these students
don't have enough financial worries already, especially those of a
poorer background. Even when they finish uni, students are still paying
off their debts from student loans, so yes it isn't fair. It currently
appears to me that getting a job to help pay off these debts isn't
enough. Speaking as an A Level student, I now worry about paying the
tuition fees because I am hoping to go to uni. I'm also sure that
others like me worry about going to uni in the future.
From
Chris Hirons in newport, shropshire
Neither the poor or middle classes will be able to afford University,
meaning that only the rich can go. The Conservatives are still in
power.
From
Andy Black, Leigh College
This proposal is stupid. I'm applying for University this year as
i am lucky because of financial support from my parents. Other people
on my course would love to go to Uni but the fact is that they just
can't afford it. Adding more fees would really backfire on the government.
From
anon
If some of the "stupid" courses were cut, i.e. media studies, etc.
there would be enough money for traditional and useful courses
From
anon
Im full time student and work over 21 hours a week at a call centre,
in between work and uni i dont have a lot of spare time. as ive got
my own house i cant afford not to work but i know constantly that
my uni work is being affected. however if i stayed at home all day
and never worked i would recieve all kinds of financial support surely
the current system can not be right!!! if i has a kid then i would
be loaded!!
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