University tuition fees

[sten_super]

So Lord Browne's report has come out, and he's proposing an end to the hard cap on tuition feeds with some kind of soft cap coming in over £6000. The rate of interest charged on loans would increase once they start to be paid off, while the wage required to initiate the repayment of loans would be increase.

BBC News - At a glance: Browne report

Thoughts?

I know it would make a difference in our house; currently the missus has c£22k of student debt (having gone on to do a PGCE after finishing her 4 year undergraduate degree) and only now, into her fourth year of teaching and second year as a head of department, has the loan started to decrease rather than increase in value, despite making repayments for the past three years. It would certainly increase the priority attached to repaying the loan if we were being charged higher interest on it.

 

[Perry Milkins]

My son is due to start Uni next year 2011/2012 so the outcome ofthis will have a major impact.

ne thing I cannot seem to find is the timeline for these changes to be made assume that the coalition embrace them.

Does any one have any idea?

 

[Djmiles]

Strongly opposed to the increase in interest rates. Just keep it in line with inflation and stop trying to make a fortune out of us you bastards

I also don't see any real point in increasing the threshold from £15k to be perfectly honest. Yet another way of prolonging the repayment process which is pretty fair as it is at the moment.

Oh and £6000 a year for tuition fees? That's just farcical.

 

[Badger]

It doesn't mention anything about the percentage of income they would have to pay back over the £21,000 threshold. At present it is 9% of anything above £15,000 but if they keep it like that and have it at 9% of anything over £21,000 then surely the large majority of loans would never get paid off. My student debt was c£11,000 and at my current level it will probably take 10 years to pay off but that wouldn't stack up with a much higher debt, with interest and a higher threshold.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I know all the students and lecturers will complain but it's a hard choice really.

Uni education has to be funded somehow and a bigger proportion should be born by the people who benefit the most - the students. And, yes, I know that we benefit as a country but we also benefit from having well qualified plumbers, builders etc and they don't get so much help from the taxpayer.

I prefered the idea of a Graduate Tax personally - that way the more you earn the more you pay back - both parties benefit.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

is this retrospectively calculated though? ie if you have a student loan now, they can't just bang up the rates for something you may have had for 5 years!

I assumed it was only for those students taking out loans from say this September coming.

 

[sten_super]

I know all the students and lecturers will complain but it's a hard choice really.

Uni education has to be funded somehow and a bigger proportion should be born by the people who benefit the most - the students. And, yes, I know that we benefit as a country but we also benefit from having well qualified plumbers, builders etc and they don't get so much help from the taxpayer.

I prefered the idea of a Graduate Tax personally - that way the more you earn the more you pay back - both parties benefit.

I always thought, and this may be a bit old-fashioned, that the point of going to university was to get a decent qualification and then get a well paid job afterwards; thereby paying more income tax over your career than someone who had not. Surely an additional Graduate Tax would then effectively be doubly penalising someone?

is this retrospectively calculated though? ie if you have a student loan now, they can't just bang up the rates for something you may have had for 5 years!

I assumed it was only for those students taking out loans from say this September coming.

I can't see how they would introduce it for existing loan holders, agreed. However I don't think it'll be introduced as quickly as next year; I would expect 2012 or 2013 is a more realistic aim.

 

[Robbie G]

is this retrospectively calculated though? ie if you have a student loan now, they can't just bang up the rates for something you may have had for 5 years!

Personally I hope it is only for new students! Having said that, my debt is nowhere near what future graduates will be having to pay.

 

[withdeanwombat]

People from lower income families will not be too keen to take on the level of debt involved in degrees.

People from high earning families will hardly notice the difference between public school fees and university fees;they just pay a bit longer and take the extra from those bonuses.

Result?

Well,the rich get richer,and the rest take cleaning jobs and become linesmen at the weekend to earn a few bob more.

Good old LibDems.They are tied up with all this.Not very liberal.Not very liberal at all.

 

[The Spanish]

i think this is precisely the English university system's 'Premier League' moment.

 

[Badger]

i think this is precisely the English university system's 'Premier League' moment.

By that do you mean chavs will be going round in top university hoodies even though they have no connection to that uni?!

 

[strings]

i think this is precisely the English university system's 'Premier League' moment.

If thats the case, I went to the University equivalent of Accrington Stanley.

(I agree, by the way)

 

[Gazwag]

From reading numerous threads on here people only seem go to university to party and get drunk so the less people who go the less probelm the country will have with binge drinking so I cant see the problem personally

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Personally I hope it is only for new students! Having said that, my debt is nowhere near what future graduates will be having to pay.

my daughter went to Brunel for a year...left as she didn't like it. 99% of the students she was with received grants and stuff as their parent/ parents were mostly on benefits etc and only a fraction of them stayed in halls, the rest stayed at home. She was practically the only one with a student loan.

In which case, I don't understand this gnashing of teeth and suggesting that the "poor" will not be able to afford going to Uni....If all fees and grants are paid, then I assume they only have to find food and drink? ( or is that nieve)

the rich will always be able to afford a better education, private schools, etc etc unfortunately taht is the way of things. Wombat is right, this will only really affect the middle classes whose parents pay for their kids through uni.

 

[Don Quixote]

This is sickening, if the Lib Dems vote for this I hope they never get a seat in parliament again.

 

[Badger]

From reading numerous threads on here people only seem go to university to party and get drunk so the less people who go the less probelm the country will have with binge drinking so I cant see the problem personally

Yes because no one ever comes out with a degree do they? and obviously 18-22 year olds that don't go to uni would never dream of going out and getting plastered

I actually read something the other day that said students were far more responsible drinkers than the equivalent aged workers. Think about it, nearly all drinking related violence happens on a Friday and Saturday night when students can't afford the prices and usually have work to catch up on.

 

[Dandyman]

People from lower income families will not be too keen to take on the level of debt involved in degrees.

People from high earning families will hardly notice the difference between public school fees and university fees;they just pay a bit longer and take the extra from those bonuses.

Result?

Well,the rich get richer,and the rest take cleaning jobs and become linesmen at the weekend to earn a few bob more.

Good old LibDems.They are tied up with all this.Not very liberal.Not very liberal at all.

Sounds an accurate analysis to me. You can also add in the cuts to Housing Benefits which will no doubt "cleanse" the inner city of a few more working class families and allow them to become nice little playgrounds for the rich.

The only good aspect to all of this is that is may lead to the LibDems being slaughtered at the ballot box.

 

[beorhthelm]

along with all current politicians, i benefited from no fees and a grant. i really dont see why the goalposts have been moved or how those in power have any place to do so. should be free and if its too expenisve reduce the number of places. degrees are supposed to be the elite, not the average.

the current system and propsals are stupid on so many levels. 3k or new 6k capped fees dont meet the actual costs. those from low income families get bursary/fees paid, why should that be decided on my parents wealth? if degrees lead to higher earning (as they are supposed to, otherwise whats the point) the student *will* pay more in taxes anyway, why tax them more for having studied to get there?

 

[Dandyman]

i think this is precisely the English university system's 'Premier League' moment.

Problem is if we end up with the US system of hyper-expensive Ivy League Universities and second rate but affordable local provision.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

My son is due to start Uni next year 2011/2012 so the outcome ofthis will have a major impact.

ne thing I cannot seem to find is the timeline for these changes to be made assume that the coalition embrace them.

Does any one have any idea?

I have been looking for the timeline too.

I think it would be pretty unlikely that this system will be operationable next year - too many students have already applied for the year starting September 2011.