newvista blog > October 2010

No limit on tuition fees?

A government review has suggested that there should be no cap on how much universities can charge for tuition fees.

A government review has suggested that there should be no cap on how much universities can charge for tuition fees.
 
At the moment fees are capped at £3290 per year, but this new law could result in students being charged up to £12000 a year.
 
How do you feel about this? Please share your views.
 
Posted by newvistalive admin on 12/10/2010 05:16:38


Current rating: 4.6 (7 ratings)

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Comments
Avatar
 Tom
It's a good move. No need for price controls for anything. If someone really wants to go to uni then they can save up, rely on borrowing etc.
Uni is pointless for many and trying to get 50% to gain a degree has been harmful
12/10/2010 14:45:49
 
elaine bamford
This may have the effect of stopping all the work shy/lazy people etc from dossing off to uni for several years to do pointless degrees in Beckham and other stupid subjects that have cropped up in the last few years. If someone is serious about going to uni to study hard for a good job then this money is worth investing in their future. Online degrees/ open university etc are not even a cheaper option as they often work out around £12,000 when you factor in all the silly little course elements they expet you to do before even starting a degree (and that even includes professional mature students who have worked for years/raised families/got stacks of experience etc) University is not an easy option and its about time people realised this and treated it with the respect that hard working degree students deserve, which means paying proper money for it all.
12/10/2010 18:21:49
 
Steph T
This subject really gets me worked up.

Never have I heard such a stupid suggestion than to remove the cap. What are the reasons given? Trying to reduce student numbers? A good reason, but a bad plan.

If you want to reduce student numbers, Universities have to reduce intake. They can do this by increasing acceptance criteria. This has the effect allowing poor, yet hard-working intelligent students to go to University, rather than lazy but rich ones.

My family are flat broke, but I left college with straight As at A-Level (chemistry, biology, computing). I wanted to study Analytical Chemistry (hardly a pointless or easy degree!). At the time I could barely afford the £1500 tuition fees, but my parents scraped enough to get me through. By increasing the fees to stupid amounts, I wouldn't have been able to go. I'd have ended up working in a shop, wasting my intellect and my hard work and studying during school.

Is that what you want? Real hard workers and intelligent people in dead-end jobs, with rich and lazy people winging their way into schools to teach your children? Or into hospitals to treat your illnesses?

Stop the dossers by raising acceptance grades, NOT the fees!!

If the problem is about money, then why not employ a retroactive tuition fee payment? In that you pay back your fees when you are earning this mythical "higher graduate income" that everyone talks about... As a scientist, I need a degree to have the job, but the pay is far from decadant!

And while I'm at it, this nonsense about "the tax payer not wanting to pay for someone elses education when they get nothing out of it".... err... does your doctor have a degree? What about the person that designed your car/internet/tv? The person that makes your food safe? The person that taught you in school, and teaches your children?

Without degree-educated people this society would grind to a halt. So next time you think badly about how your taxes are paying for students to "have a good time" or "doss around for 4 years", think again.
13/10/2010 07:04:29
 
vicky carter
I really couldn't have an opinion because I havent been a student myself.
19/10/2010 12:37:25
 
Avatar
 Caz Stapleton-Ratcliffe
My 21 year old Son is currently at University, and finding it very hard financially. I often send some money to him, in order that he eats properly. He is not fazed by the amount of debt which he is acrueing, to offset that, he works almost full time at a local theme pub, until early in the morning sometimes. He has to do this in order that he can afford a bit of a life too. He's a dogged, and determined young man, and will get to his prefered destination in his later career, and maybe all this emphasis on 'money' has made his attributes even stronger. I can see him now.....'the basxxxds will not crucify me, I will survive and be successful in my chosen career!'.
19/10/2010 19:52:24
 
elaine bamford
That's great Caz and just the right kind of attitude for your son to have. I also worked loads of hours when I was a 16 year old college student for 2 years and then went straight into work. There were no lazy gap years for me , my family or friends. We studied hard at college/uni and worked to keep the debts down. We did not squander our money on nights out drinking etc as we just did not have the time or cash. If all students had the right work ethic like your son then nobody would be moaning about removing the cap on fees. Nothing comes for free in this life. Good luck to your son and I am sure he will do well.
20/10/2010 05:48:56
 
Walter Tuward
I think there should be a cap on tuition fees or a possible reduction if possible. If the aim of the government is to get more students from poorer backgrounds into University, that making room for fees increase is not the right way to go and it would lead to lots of students shying away from the idea they would have huge debts when they complete. It the long run, i could be dangerous for the country.
20/10/2010 08:51:52
 
Maggie Hatton
I wonder if those who have gone to UNI like the Blairs and others of the ilk who now earn well in excess of what we mortals can dream about, why don't they pay Universities a hefty sum, since they have done well, not the poor souls who do not even know if they will have a job at the end of it.
23/10/2010 12:53:07
 
abijo
I'm 18 and at college at the moment. I want to be a Primary School Teacher, so in order to achieve this I need to go to University for 4 years.
I've got 3 A Levels and to give myself the best possible chance and knowledge for my degree, I'm doing a 2 year Child Care & Education Diploma at college. I will have to pay around £500 for the second year.
All my hard work seems to be going to waste now. I come from a poor area in Yorkshire. Hardly anyone in my area goes to University, and I would be the first in my family. By increasing tuition fees for Universities, this leaves me, and others in the same situation as me, with a huge problem.
My choice is, either give up and settle with a normal job with low income. Or go to University to become a Primary School Teacher, and pay off my debt for the rest of my life.
I feel like all these years of hard work for my GCSEs, A Levels, and now Diploma, are for nothing. There is no way I, or my parents, have enough money for me to survive University, so my hopes of being successful and happy, are dashed.
I do not want to shatter my dream. But it seems like I don't have any other choice.
The Government has deserted me.
23/10/2010 19:27:50
 
Steph T
Abijo - I feel for you. I'm glad I have graduated now and have secured a PhD position, because I was in your position at your age. Luckily for me the fees were capped and I had assistance from the government due to my parents' low income.
But if I were in your shoes now, facing the prospect of uncapped fees, no assistance, and a hefty interest rate on the student loan, I would feel deserted too.

What do the government wish to achieve?

If a student can't afford to go to uni, what is the option? Try to find a non-existant job with thier school qualifications and limited work experience?

Unlikely.

What is more likely is that this potentially highly skilled and intelligent person will end up on the dole.

Now ask yourselves - would you rather pay your taxes to put this person through university to better themselves, or pay to keep them on the dole.

I know which I would choose.
28/10/2010 12:33:54
 
Avatar
 tracey harman
If they do this then there will be a clear divide in the amount of university entrants, with no diversity of social classes , once again the rich get richer and the poor are left on the Tory Scrapheap !
29/10/2010 08:47:20
 
Avatar
 Controversial Caz
Thanks for your good wishes for Zac, but he has no choice with regard to passing his exams at the end of it, as I've firmly got his arm up his back, lol. xxx
30/10/2010 18:02:55
 
Laurent Bradwell
Education, like all things, has a cost. The reason it's free up to A level is that society gets lots of benefit from having citizens who can read and write and communicate effectivelyv with each other. For people going on to university, they get more of the benefit than society. After all, who says, 'I'm going to Uni to study hard so that I can help others my entire life and I don't want to get paid for it!' People are entitled to get paid, but the point is I think it's fair, for university, for students to pay a share of the costs. The question then becomes; well how big a share? I think that how much of a benefit to society each subject is should be the big decider. Which is more useful to society; history or science? While this may be controversial, and not all people aren't blessed with maths skills, the fact is uni costs money. We need to encourage science and maths, so why not subsidise those courses, and not subsidise less useful ones like basket weaving. That way society realy gets what it needs i.e. students trained to work in the current areas of skills shortage!
06/11/2010 07:36:07
 
Mervyn Morris
I think the only people who will suffer here are people who are already struggling to put their kids through uni and if this happens the poorer families will not be able to even dream that their kids can go to uni and get better jobs and get out of the poverty trap to me it stinks of a two tier system where the powers that be want to keep poorer families poor
10/11/2010 07:08:26
 
Jane Hardie
I agree that it's going to be very difficult for people from poorer homes. Perhaps the government could have allowed the universities to increase their course fees a little- say by 10%. my daughter has just started uni and is struggling- she hasn't yet found a part-time job to supplement her income -so we try to help out. I'm not sure what we'll do if my other daughter decides to go to uni!
Shame about the protests today... the minority troublemakers who probably weren't even students.
10/11/2010 16:33:58
 
William Hughes
If I had my way all those students involved in the disgraceful protest earlier this week would have all the financial support withdrawn. They are supposed to represent the future of this country, which,if that is sort of behaviour we can expect for the future God help us. We are all having to tighten our belts and assist in paying of the national debt, the sooner they appreciate that the better we shall be.
13/11/2010 08:50:06
 
Alaric_Kostan
I'm speechless after reading this and some of the comments. I agree with elaine's comment on 'Nothing comes for free in this life', but i mean £12,000 a year is way too much!

What about the students coming over to study, won't they be paying a lot more?
The course i'm thinking to study is about £3300 a year and for overseas student it costs them £10,700 already, if this law has been established then it won't just be England making the complaints, but a majority would be coming from the overseas student.
14/11/2010 08:24:41
 
Steph T
@William.

I'm rather sick of people tarring the majority with the actions of the few.

Thousands of students demonstrated. Peacefully. Including friends of mine.

A very small number of "students" took it too far, at the disgust and discouragement of the rest of the protesters.

The protests will keep happening until notice is taken; after all it is every person's right to stand up for their livelihood and future.
14/11/2010 13:25:45
 
Rebecca Stables
I myself am a student, and studying a degree in mathematics with business. I just about get by as it is with the student loan, just about covering my rent and then working on top of studying to pay for bills and food.
At the moment I will be coming out of University with around £20,000 worth of debt. If the government are to uncap Univeristy fees then who knows how much debt future students will have to pay back after they graduate, I wouldnt be surprised if its around £50,000!
For one, I think its ridiculous, allowing Universities to charge what they want to students who are, in the future, going to be the ones running this country and working those jobs that keeps everything in order. And second of all, it'll stop those who want to go to Uni and who are bright enough, applying and going because they wont be able to afford it.

The government will be stopping people in doing what they want to do for their future careers. Especially as so many jobs want students with degrees these days.
Those people who could potentially be smart enough to work within a top banking firm or within the govenrment, could end up doing dead end jobs, at minimum wage, just because they couldnt afford to go to uni and get the degree they needed for the job they really wanted to do!
19/11/2010 19:35:36
 
DAVID
I agree that Universities should not have a cap on what they wish to charge. The government provides free education up to the age of 16 which is more than some countries get. I think that people should be grateful for that. After the age of 16 it is a persons own choice if they wish to continue their education, and therefore should have to pay what their chosen uni charges. If that uni is too expensive for them then look for another. Sometimes uni is just not a viable option but you can't blame the government for that.
20/11/2010 17:44:05
 
Ruth Worcester
I am not sure how much to say except I have mixed feeling re paying for University fees I think it could work if students helped themselves to a certain extend and tht grants should be available.
I feel Apprentaships have a large role to play.
Some students are able to have the opportunity ato work and study.
26/11/2010 07:57:55
 
Irene Shukie
Is it fair at all that all our students in England have to pay, yet ALL students in Scotland pay nothing, same with free prescriptions, everyone gets them free in Scotland WHY.
They also get more money per head given to them than in England and Wales, and we pay for t all.
26/11/2010 14:07:26
 
Diane H
There are some students and families who can afford the fees but there are some who cannot and this deprives them of the opportunity, especially if they have ability. I disagree with the cap being removed and I also think that, although Universities are in a difficult position because of Government cuts, they should stand strong with those opposing and refuse to continue with their services to send a strong message to the government. Yes it would be difficult, for both the Universities and the students, yet only then will the current state of affairs stop. They are just continuing to play the game by not doing so.
27/11/2010 07:00:18
 
victoria davison
I think its stupid charging that much for education.
Its as good as saying only rich kids can get good jobs and degree's.
I think everyone should have equal oppertunities!
The government has got our country into so much debt, which has resulted in many many people losing their jobs, everyones skint because they messed up, and theyre trying to put it right by punishing the people who arent even old enough to vote for them yet (some of them)
27/11/2010 16:27:37
 
Richard Lancaster
The comment about "without degree educated people this country would grind to a halt" annoyed me. It is simply not true and probably the reason many of us "uneducated" people (I don't have a degree so am including myself firmly in this bracket) dislike the attitude of students. I have no problem with paying taxes, I have no problem with free education - it's a fantastic idea. However, coming on a forum and telling me that without degree level people in this country is rude, arrogant and incorrect. Perhaps I should say then that all degree educated people should pay higher taxes because they will all get high paying jobs? See where I'm going with this?
01/12/2010 03:25:21
 
Richard Lancaster
The comment about "without degree educated people this country would grind to a halt" annoyed me. It is simply not true and probably the reason many of us "uneducated" people (I don't have a degree so am including myself firmly in this bracket) dislike the attitude of students. I have no problem with paying taxes to help towards education costs, I have no problem with free education - it's a fantastic idea. However, coming on a forum and telling me that without degree level people in this country we would grind to a halt, is rude, arrogant and incorrect. I suspect there aren't too many degree level train/bus drivers to drive you to uni? Or too many degree level wooly scarf makers to provide students with the strange affection for said clothing article? Or perhaps too many degree level barmen serving you snakebite and black? We had degree level trained managers in my last job and they were useless. Us uneducated engineers had to fix the faults, provide service etc. I don't have a problem with this until you start telling me I am useless to the country unless I have a degree. Perhaps I should say then that all degree educated people should pay higher taxes because they will all get higher paying jobs?
01/12/2010 03:33:51
 
sarahmel
I went to uni just at the point in the late 80s when the tories scrapped grants, but my tuition was free and I got by pretty well working several jobs most nights of the week. The more fortunate of my friends spent their free time studying and socialising. I still believe I would have done better in my degree if I did not have to work so much as well as study. To me it's pretty obvious that those who will do best at uni, get the best degrees and the best jobs at the end are those who will be free to study more and not the working class students who will be burning the candle at both ends just to get by - I expect Cameron will be happy with this arrangement then.
01/12/2010 11:43:28
 
Caroline Gilmour
Under the new proposals, students will not have to pay anything for their tuition while at university; in theory, anyone qualified could go, whatever their background. However, on leaving one of the more expensive universities after a four-year course, the student might be burdened with £50,000 of debt. Once the new graduate is earning £21,000 or more, repayment of the debt begins. On the radio I heard an estimate that the debt repayments at this stage might amount to 9% of the graduate's income. Added to the basic rate of tax (20%) this makes a total of 29%.

When I started work after university (in the mid-1980s) I was not in debt and had no repayments to make for my education - but the basic rate of tax was about 29%! The then Conservative government had a policy of cutting income taxes and the basic rate went down (if I remember rightly) to 27%, 25%, 23%, 22%; it was stable for a while until the last Labour government reduced it to 20%.

So here might be the nub of the issue. Today's graduates pay less basic rate tax than those of earlier times, giving the state less resources with which to subsidise higher education; in return, the graduates are now being expected to make up the difference through loan debt repayments during their working lives.

The big winners are non-graduate moderate to high earners; in the past, they had to pay more basic rate tax to subsidise the university education enjoyed by other people; now, they pay less basic rate tax, while those who do go on to college will have to bear more of the cost themselves.

Is this fair or unfair? It is certainly a move towards the "user pays" concept that is also being applied to railways etc. However, I sympathise with the students of the future, because the prospect of tens of thousands of pounds of debt (before you have even thought about buying a house etc) must be deeply alarming to many.
02/12/2010 23:27:51
 
Lorraine Holland
I can't understand all this about poorer students not being able to go to university.
The Government has made it clear that they don't pay upfront and only pay the loan back if and when they earn a certain amount.
The last government left this country in a huge financial mess and we will all have to help pay for it.
06/12/2010 17:56:27
 
Avatar
 Karen Ruse
I am in two minds about this. I believe that education should be paid for as those who get degees have higher potential earnings. My brother who is 4 years younger went to Uni and earns £10,000pa more than I do. This is despite my having worked since 17/18 when I left college and having 6 years work experience on him. He has been left 10 years and is still paying off his loan. I think it ahould be means tested though and grades need good quality subjects and grades to be considered.
19/12/2010 16:32:38
 
Elisabeth McGeachy
I do not believe in fees full stop. I was working full time as a single mother earning under £10000 a year when my son asked if he could go to uni. He went, worked of an evening and weekend and came out with over £10000 worth of debt. Granted he got a job in what he liked doing but is not a high earner bringing in £17000 a year.Good wage but working away from home his private rent and living expenses eat into most of this. I worry for him as the debt increases each year and nobody should start off owing that sum of money.Fortunately he is not a worrier like me .I think firms should subsidise education and people who are on a reasonable family income could meet the costs.
08/01/2011 22:03:53
 
Samantha BARNETT
BAD move.
Why should we have to pay extra for an education? this is a typically conservative move, as this would mean the wealthier you are, the more likely you will go to university.
Most people will be put off by higher fees, which will mean less people with the qualifications for specialist jobs, and more people going for normal 9-5 jobs, which,will make it harder for the average person to get a job surely?? Though, I know that obviously student loans help out, but, funding to subjects are also being cut. this means we are paying more for a degree, that may not be able to afford equipment required. And the fact that they are cutting all funding to the arts, is out of order. As the arts play a HUGE part in day to day life.. what clothes we wear, what movies we see, advertisements, television, photography, interior design, landscaping etc.
The government sucks!
19/01/2011 05:14:16
 
david napier
i dont know why students are complaining about the increase in student fees, you dont have
to pay anything back until they are earning over £21,000 a year, and then its a small percentage of your wage before tax. and why should i pay for someone elses children to go to uni, i pay enough in taxes has it is,
23/01/2011 14:33:22
 
Alexander Stupart
I support the raising of tuition fees, this country cannot afford to pay for Higher Education after the mess the Bankers (and the lack of Government regulation to control them) has left us in.

As someone employed in a university, not as an Academic, but on the building maintenance side, I see all sides of university life - lecture theatres, offices and student accommodation, etc.
Until I took this job I thought that when you went to university it was similar to secondary school - a "full-time" education. It's not, some students may only have 2 lectures a week, very few have to attend lectures or tutorials 5 days a week - and they think that's hard work!!!.

Personally, I would like to see the following happen -

1. No student under 20 years of age enrolled on courses. If this is followed students will be more mature and had approximately two years to decide on a career. Presently, some students can be as young as 17, still a child, and away from home with no idea about how to cook, never mind budget for items such as books, food, etc.
2. At least one years work experience in the area of the chosen course. Starting at the bottom might ensure that a future student really wants to enter that particular line of work - and they will see what life is like earning money.
3. Fees should be charged in relation to the course e.g. lower fees for Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, Physics, etc. as they will be of more use to the prosperity of the country - higher fees being paid for Philosophy, Fine Art History, Sport, etc. (whoever heard of a multi-million deal being signed for Philosophy!?!?!).
4. Surcharges if the degree chosen is not used for a minimum of ten years in that vocation. I see students graduate as teachers or lawyers with no intention of entering that profession - wasted education spaces that are keeping people who would have become Doctors or Teachers out of our universities.

When I left school, I embarked on a 4year course of training and learning - it was called an Apprenticeship. My employers paid me a lower rate than the Tradesman I was working with, so had cheap labour. I didn't complain as I knew that when I had finished the apprenticeship (graduated) I would be earning the full rate for the job. Students should be thankful that they do not pay the full price of their education.

There is an alternative to going to university - do what I have done, enroll with the Open University. Now that IS hard work, holding down a full-time job, paying bills, studying after work, summer school (on some courses) AND paying the fees for the course and the summer school - let the Moaners try that!!!!!
30/01/2011 08:37:46
 
Helen Bye
I disagree with increased fees. Entry should be difficult but fees fair thus allowing poor, yet hard-working intelligent students to go to University, rather than lazy but rich ones.
01/02/2011 06:44:24
 
Penny Murison
Of course the country needs graduates. There are some jobs which are just not possible to do without an extensive period of study beforehand, likewise there are many jobs which require training, on the job or in the classroom, but probably not 3 years intensive study.

I would like the assistant in a shop to be knowledgeable about what they are selling and have been trained in customer service, but there's no need for them to spend 3 years studying it.
Likewise I would not want my doctor to be training on the job, or my children's teacher to be working out the curriculum as she goes along - the stakes are too high in these professions.

There are many young people now with degrees in subjects which interest them, but are not particularly useful. I know a few people with performing arts degrees, for example - they're all working in offices doing general clerical work.

High fees will maybe weed out some of the courses least likely to result in a job, but that's probably the only benefit. It feels like we're going back in time to when the children of the rich went to university and everyone else went down the mine. There is probably a need to reduce student numbers but I'd rather they were selected on the basis of academic ability or at least aptitude, rather than ability to pay.

And all these kids who don't get to go to university will need jobs, remember - maybe it's better they spend their time studying rather than collecting their dole and feeling like they've failed before they've even started.
09/02/2011 11:20:23
 
Jenni
I hope the people who think it's a good move think this way when they can't afford to put their children through university. Or when their children are still living with them at the age of 34 because they still can't afford a mortgage and have over £100,000 worth of debt around their necks.
10/02/2011 05:31:59
 
Jenni
Also what I don't think many people are aware of is that the funding has all been completely cut at universities, so where people "don't have to pay back their debt" the university is providing a poorer quality education for triple or quadruple the rate. It's disgraceful.
10/02/2011 05:40:04
 
Avatar
 Lucy
Good, too many people go to uni for the amount of jobs there is, since there are too many graduates for graduate jobs and they now need to take jobs from people with less qualifications,
Also it would reduce the amount of people going to uni because they have nothing better to do and provide better opportunities for people who are passionate about going
18/02/2011 11:18:02
 
Avatar
 ANNETTE COLE
personally I think it is wrong, many people cant afford this, there is no jobs, their cutting a lot for students ema etc, my neice is trying to get into university to be a midwife/nurse but none of the colleges are accepting her, so she might have to take a year out and do something that she does not want to do.
06/03/2011 17:18:45
 
Andrew Rhind
i think this is wrong, we will just have a generation of people that are upto their eyeballs in debt!
17/03/2011 08:26:27
 
Michael Collins
Many people seem not to realise that in other countries university is much more expensive. In the USA for example university could cost £20,000 a year or higher for the best unis.

No one has the automatic right to go to uni like most other things you have to earn it via good A levels.

Strip away all the pointless degrees like 'David Beckham studies (yes this does exist) and things like 'event management' and then the funding can be focused on real degrees.

Alternatively fees to be charged on how useful the degree would be to society so things like medicine, dentistry, the pure sciences pay the least and the pointless ones such as David Beckham studies pay the most.
20/03/2011 16:54:59
 
mahabubul dewan
i see not point why the govt. should put pressure on the students to financially strengthen it self. Look for other remedies dude, u r not dumb.
23/03/2011 04:27:35
 
Avatar
 Derek Lawrenson
The decision on uni fees was a political decision by the Tory party with the Lib Dems sacrificing their beliefs to share power. This decision has reaffirmed the status quo where "the establishment" retains power over the masses by controlling who gets a decent education. The same families who already pay for their children to be educated at the likes of Eton and Harrow will not have a problem paying any tuition fee amount and will now be joined at Oxford & Cambridge by like minded people who share similar social status. Someone from a poor family in Yorkshire for example was never going to be allowed to become Prime Minister or Director General of the BBC and now that fact has been reinforced with this decision. A large swathe of middle class people have also been removed from the higher education system at uni level now because like the stereotypical Yorkshireman they refuse to put themselves in any kind of debt, prefering to save up first (and how long is that going to take someone without a degree?) Think about it. I agree with many of the people who think that some people use uni to park themselves for a few years, but the solution should not have been financial as this is socailly devisive and perpetuates the system where we are ruled and governed by toffs and never by ourselves.
24/03/2011 09:00:35
 
Mohammad saleem khan
I think if the government can wave the tution fee that will be great.As far as i know there are many people out there need education but the problem is money.
26/03/2011 07:41:58
 
ma
this is rubbish i think...what will happen to those sudents who wants to pursue thier education at uni but they cant afford to pay for thier tuition? and how will the uni maintain its quality of education if they dont have or they cant make profit with thier business due to no students who wants to enrol in uni due to high tuition fees? its not fair...
27/03/2011 20:41:47
 
rebecca donner
not interested in uni but friends of mine are finding it hard to get into uni's and can't afford it, this isnt a good move as many people need to go to uni to get into the job they wish
18/04/2011 11:34:17
 
Tracy-ann Davies
I think this is a ridiculess situation,so they all start at 9k great,well who's going to be the first to pay the full 9k and who is going to be clever and wait until the prices go down,as they will as no-body is going to move first!!!!!!!!
19/04/2011 12:28:03
 
Avatar
 kevin gillham
interesting comments on both sides but look at the number of cleverclogs with degrees who actually work down because they dont actually want to be in the big pond but prefer to stay bigger fish (in their own minds ) in the smaller pond , would they still have bothered if they had had to pay these new fees ? Or could their places have gone to poorer candidates with drive and determination in life assisted by a government trying to put right the mess left by the previous regime
19/04/2011 15:27:23
 
Emma Bass
If this was to happen I think it would change who can afford to go to University in the future, and will be for the richer families in our country. This for me is scary because in our poorest communities we could have the next prime minister, doctors, researchers who could find cures for cancers. Education shouldn't be for the rich.
19/04/2011 18:04:32
 
Steve Glanville
Anyone with the ability should be able to go to the university they want without having to worry about cost. When they get a decent job they will be paying their tax to pay for it. No one should start their working life in debt.
04/05/2011 07:05:19
 
Avatar
 Brian Marshall
What People do not seem to grasp is this, Tuition fees has to be paid I know, but I feel that there should be a cap on the fees. Think about this, by the time a person has Qualified to do what ever they did the corse for, by the time they are in Employment, They will be in dept BIG TIME.
06/05/2011 09:56:27
 
james auld
all people at uni should get it free the uk need people in training and studying i mean their parents work all their days to send them to uni and studying at college all their years to go to uni the goverment should do something about this after all it the goverment that got them selfs in a big hole with joining eu
12/05/2011 11:15:20
 
vidhya srinivasan
i cannot found any servays where will find the servays in this website
14/05/2011 08:23:39
 
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16/05/2011 05:04:25
 
Roy Motterm
Higher education should be free to those that would benefit from it, and who in turn would benefit the country.

It is either a good thing for the country, or it is not. If it is not, the government should stop encouraging young people to go to university.

If, as a result of a university degree, someone gets a higher income, so be it, although the often quoted statistics must surely come from an era when only the "top" 10% went to university. More students must mean that any salary benefit will now be severely diluted.

According to goverment statistics for the tax year 2009/10, the 50% of the 30 million people in the tax paying population that earned less than £20,000 generated 12% of the income tax take. If a degree takes someone's earnings over £30,000 a year, they will join the 25% of the tax paying population that generate 75% of all income tax. They will already be paying back much more than their education has cost.

The concept of a dustman paying for a doctor's education is a fallacy. But even if it was true, would it be such a bad thing?

And what of the people earning more than £30,000 that didn't go to university? Why should they pay for someone else's education? Because they earn more than most, and the way we fund UK Inc. is by asking those that earn more to contribute more.

Perhaps if a few more loopholes were closed, and HMRC stopped the super-rich from taking income in clever ways that avoided income tax, there would be enough money generated to avoid tuition fees completely. This might mean that people like Wayne Rooney, who as far as I know did not go to university, would be personally funding many student places. This might seem unfair. On the other hand...

The same government statistics show that in 2009/10 there were 2 to 3000 taxpayers earning over £100,000 each, but only paying basic rate tax. How does that work?
23/05/2011 17:08:18
 
PAUL MARSH
My nephew decided not to go to Uni even though he had the passes required and chose an apprenticeship instead.He's now a qualified sparky and earning twice as much as a University leaver and nothing to pay back!.We need practical skills in this country,not useless Ologies!Nuff said!
27/05/2011 09:48:10
 
Alison Grigson
I think it's disgraceful that children are expected to go into debt before they even start work. I believe that not all students should go (some would prefer to have a real apprenticeship) to university! What happened to apprenticing(?) in a trade for 5 years and becoming aa knowledgeable person whilst being paid? Perhaps the government should stop trying to have a population where everyone had a degree and no job, and allow manufacturing to grow again with proper apprenticeships. we would have real employment, real degrees (without debt for the graduates) and a growing economy.
02/06/2011 06:26:20
 
rachel bristow
We should all pay the same regardless of your background, as it is yourself as a student who is responsible for your own future. That way we all have equal debt, we all have the same oppurtunity, we all pay the cap £3290 and therefore more exspense wouldnt be needed. You often find the hardest working people are tose with a securer background so they get the same life they have always had, people who get benefits and money off tend to see it as an open oppurtunity. Like back in the day if u cant afford to do it then dont, because at the end of the day you have to prove your willing and hard working not that you can live off handouts. The government are basically making richer households pay more, however i have an above average household but not a bean comes from my parents whom may i add are divorced. I choose university to prove im capable of standing on my own two feet, other students should do the same and allow us to pay the peak cap so were not fored to pay much more and them still to almost go for free!! I used to live in a council house and get second hand stuff and i still never asked for anything. People in britain have gotten greedy!
06/06/2011 12:42:01
 
damien williams
i think we should pay the same amount no matter where your from
09/06/2011 00:45:15
 
Avatar
 Jules Morgan
Thank you Tony and Gordon,

By opening our further education system up to your unatainable 50% ( we know Gordon's math was not up to much, but I would urge people to look up what a bell curve is) and allowing uni's to charge for their tuition to opay for this pointless increase in numbers and lowering entrance criteria to the lowest ever, you have paved the way for us all to have an American style Uni system. The best Uni's will pick off the best students, or those who will pay the most and the others will be taking anyone with cash, or the willingness to saddle themselves with a lifetimes debt. If any old poly or six form college had not been able to transform themselves into a Uni without regard for the consequence of devaluing the Degrees they provide, we would have the world class Uni's we had twenty years ago backed up by the world class Poly's that provided the Industrial skills needed to support the Industry in this country.

Now we are back to the nineteenth century system of those who can pay can go and those who are from a less fortunate background can go hang. Wow!! What progress we have made in such a short time...
10/06/2011 14:48:18
 
Nicholas Murcutt
Its neede to be done. Whats the point of everyone going university and then suddenly their unemployed for a year because their degree doesnt mean anything. Theres too many people going to university so maybe its a good thing as the people who actually go out their way and actually work hard to get into university should deserve to go. It will help the economy and maybe make more jobs avaible for the younger generation.
12/06/2011 09:30:44
 
Suzanne Ball
I think that uncapping of fees is mad. I have two children 1 wants to go in the police force and is determined he will not go to uni but do his A levels and work at whatever he can until they start recruiting in our area. My other child wants to go to Uni so he can develop new cures for diseases. He is just taking his GCSE's in year 8. He is determined nothing will stop him from going to Uni. He is determined he will be able to work while at Uni. We will help him out as much as we can but we are no where near rich. Why should he be sadled with such debt when all he wants to do is help people and prevent so many people dying from diseases. He will come out of Uni with over £30 thousand of debt. If only I could do more for him. But he shouldn't have this worry at such a young age.
16/06/2011 07:00:34
 
Emily Carr
i think there should be a limit on how much a university can charge per school year. £9000 is an absolute joke for those who arent as well off as others. those who come from a more privellaged situations are more likely to go as they will be able to afford the fees
21/06/2011 12:54:44
 
karen yates
In my opinion, when it comes down to it if students really want to go to uni and i mean really want to go, they will pay!
23/06/2011 13:32:48
 
Tracy Thompson
My brother who is 42 years old found Polytechnic at Stafford hard as if it were not for my late grandad providing financial support, he would not have gone to Poly and been in a good job now, My sister who is 38 years old went to Hull University, same again my late grandad helped......BOTH passed with flying colours.....BOTH had a large amount of debt when they left.....BUT i suppose if you are quite rich you don't have to worry about the costs of things....Do you!!!!!
24/06/2011 18:05:11
 
Matt Hepworth
In a student in college and I would have possibly wanted to go to university but because of these increases i'm avoiding it all together. It couldnt have come at a worse time.
04/07/2011 08:06:35
 
Sam Long
hiya, I completly agree :)
05/07/2011 18:09:55
 
Avatar
 sanmeet kaur
hiii i am complety agree to
12/07/2011 10:12:26
 
Pauline Edwards
I reckon there should certainly be no cap on foreign students! Actually, what I don't understand is why EU students can come to English universities and be charged the same as English Students, yet Scotland can charge English students, whilst Scottish students have free tuition. I also heard that Scotland are looking into being able to charge EU students too! If Scotland get away with that, then England should follow suit!
15/07/2011 12:12:44
 
tracey nelder
I feel this is such a terrible thing to do, The government complain about lack of nurses doctors etc, Then they do silly things like this. families struggle to send there children to uni as it is, how can people can onto to make the best of themselves and also improve the country's out look if they charge whatever they feel for uni, people will not be going to uni or just get into debt to do so. Every one deserves the change to make the best of themselves.
02/08/2011 04:26:06
 
Dominic Jordan
Increased tuition fee actually have very little to no effect on students. Since you still only pay back percentage of what you earn over a certain amount.

A high number of people will NEVER pay back the whole loan and in fact the higher rate will not increase the payments just the length of time it takes to pay it off. Which, if the same applies to them, will mean they actually do not pay any more money than those with the lower fees.
19/08/2011 14:49:53
 
Dominic Jordan
It is a lot of fuss over nothing. You only ever pay anything when you earn enough that you would be able to afford it anyway.

There is no argument that rising fees make university prohibitivally expensive. Those that say that do no understand the repayment system.
19/08/2011 14:51:49
 
nichola showell
i think this an is absolutely ridiculous idea.

have they learnt nothing from the rioting that went on only a few weeks ago ?

they are pushing people to the limit and i don't think people are willing to keep taking it lying down. if they carry on making it harder for normal British citizens to live their lives without scrimping and saving every last penny they are going to see the whole country either come to a complete standstill, or the rioting with multiply by 100. their will be nothing left.
24/08/2011 17:56:15
 
nathan bishop
this is out ragouse
24/08/2011 19:00:01
 
Michelle Tutt
I find this pretty ridiculous to be honest, people go to university to help with their career, becoming in debt will make things worse, they'l be paying this off for a very long time, its very difficult to then find a job that fits in with all the qualifications they have finally achieved from finishing their years at uni. Then to realise how much they have to pay back.
25/08/2011 17:18:04
 
Leanne McBain
I will be attending uni in the next few years, and i, along with many of my friends are very worried about the cost of it. Some people may not be able to go to uni because of the prices and thats not fair!
25/08/2011 17:30:43
 
Jess Wakelin
uni fees should be capped as the government place a lot of emphasis on education. capping uni fees will make higher education more accessible to students from all backgrounds. having unlimited fees will discourage students from poorer backgrounds as they wont know how much the overall cost will be. higher education should be available fr all, not just those who are already at an advantage. plenty of uni students work also so its not just about sponging off the tax payer.
28/08/2011 06:53:43
 
Avatar
 rhiannon jackson
i think that it is horrible that the goverment think that higher fees is a good idea what on earth made them think that a better britan is one with no money, debt and high education or lots of money but mo education that meets work standards
28/08/2011 07:27:54
 
Rhona Damaa
TERRIBLE! Education shouldnt have such a high price!not everyone can afford this and you shouldnt have to pay so much to learn. Why dont the goverment stop and think that if they bring prices down. more people will go to uni, so in the long run they will be richer???what a crazy world!
28/08/2011 08:51:49
 
Charlotte Minchew
I think it's an awful suggestion. Everybody should have the same chance and opportunity to go to University and gain further education and if fees were as high as £12,000 per year (this is before taking into account the cost of living at University) many people would be unable to go.
29/08/2011 07:40:24
 
Victoria Wright
I feel that university fees should be capped, in order to allow people to continue to apply and want to go. If the fees were not capped less people would be applying, which could disadvantage the universities
29/08/2011 12:48:54
 
Brooke O
I think it's ridiculous.. Where are students from a weak financial background supposed to find that amount of money?
30/08/2011 11:11:13
 
kelly seddon
i think its a good idea because if someone really wants to go to uni they will find a way t pay for it...i was in the situation that i had to pay for college tuition and i found a way to do it and i look back now and know i have acheived something out of it all
30/08/2011 19:25:01
 
jennifer wright
to be honest being from scotland i didnt have uni fee's i think we should help students through uni not make things harder from them by piling on the financial worries. we need to invest in the future. and the younger generation is the future
31/08/2011 08:17:21
 
Rebecca Bridges
I worked full time and did a degree part time, it cost me over £12000 but I needed it to get my job as a teacher. I had no financial help with my fees and had to finance it myself, if they weren't capped I could not of afforded to get the qualifications I needed to provide a better life for my young family.
01/09/2011 15:36:54
 
Rebecca Williams
It's hard enough to afford it already if they make it any harder then no one will be able to get in. It's just not possible because generations will suffer heavily.
03/09/2011 17:24:07
 
Ellie sealey
I understand comments about making it harder for students who are not necessarily interested in getting a degree and are doing it for the few years off work, yet students who are very bright and are fully dedicated to succeeding in their career may not having the money to afford it now.
We can't live in debt for the rest of our lives, spending our working life paying off student loans before making some real income to move on with our lives.
It's left me having to decide whether I should really apply for university now.
12/09/2011 13:12:46
 
John Orchard
Considering both Conservative and Labour Cabinet members didn't pay a penny for their University attendance then it's a bit hypercritcal to charge outrages fees. Perhaps enrtrance exams should be made harder so as to cut down the number of entrants. Everyone can't go to University there should be more Apprenticeships in Industry.
15/09/2011 12:09:46
 
coby stead
i dont agree in people that are willing to learn that have to pay these high prices that they are. Some students are really finding it hard to get the education they need to follow the career paths that they have allways wanted it strongly think that they should capp the prices so that people are not allways getting them selfs into debt for years after uni
08/10/2011 15:48:49
 
Lynne Ellis
I think it is a good idea. If you want to get the qualifications to earn a well paid job then you should pay for it yourself. Its not as if you have to pay it back immediately only when you are earning a good enough salary and then at a very low interest rate. Hopefully it will stop the people just going to university just to put off getting a job and drinking themselves silly every night. In the USA the parents save for their kids college fund from early on why shouldn't we.
15/10/2011 05:51:34
 
Jane Pritchard
My sister did a degree to be a teacher whilst running a nursery. It made her financially worse off because she had to pay back loans. She is now out of debt and a successful teacher but it took a long time to pay off the debt. Her husband even worked long hours and overtime to achieve this. This should not be allowed to happen. Other parts of the UK get it free. Why not England? As for lazy 'no hopers' studying, they would soon be kicked out when they fail therefore the best hardworking members stay in full or part time but at what cost? Removing the capping should be abolished! It's OK for the MPs they can afford to send their children to better schools and university on what they earn. Can we call it 'earn'? They are supposed to be the voice of the people and all we hear is their voices and opinions.
We should have a 'vote of no confidence' in the current government.
Come out of the EU.
Cap silly wages for footballers etc.
Monitor the utility companies better.
Stop the fuel rise, after all, the price of petrol at source has gone down considerably.
Stop mass immigration.
09/11/2011 06:35:39
 
Ami Birrell
i think it is ridiculous, only people from wealthy family's who can afford these fee's will go to uni, the well paid jobs will be going to these graduates, creating a bigger divide between the 'rich and poor'
09/11/2011 15:08:21
 
paula mcginn
IT IS SHOCKING! NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THIS
18/11/2011 15:36:42
 
Avatar
 Jes
I think those who denigrate the 'American' system fail to understand how education in USA works (or at least USED to work) . . . It starts with not moving up to the next school year class until you complete the work for that year (so no leaving school without being able to read, write and figure, unless you don't 'graduate'): there is therefore incentive to study from the beginning, and those who 'graduate' have studied. . . . My husband's generation in the UK who had free tuition AND a student grant for their first degree (and for a higher degree if they went further) were far less prepared for the 'world of work' when they graduated than my son, who studied at Liverpool and needed to work part-time while he earned his first-class honours degree in Mathematics at the beginning of the 21st century. He was prepared to work for what he wanted, and was good at everything he has tried. . . . he has also managed to pay back his student loan, and didn't fret about it. . .
I don't think it fair that one group of students pay more than another at the same university, although better schools have always cost more than those with less able teachers/tutors, as they can afford to pay better salaries.In the USA system you study because you want to learn, and you pay your way, sometimes through 'Sandwich' courses where the uni finds you a placement in work for alternate terms between studies (which included daily lectures and projects), so you get experience and earn and your four-year course takes five, with three years experience when you then apply for jobs. . . .
My husband's fellow graduates had no experience, and were immature emotionally and less prepared to look after themselves. . . yes, they had little or no debt . . . but it took them longer to adapt to a working environment as well.
22/11/2011 09:28:49
 
XxxXXXxxx
i think that going into university is hard i am facing this current situation right now as i am 18 and planning to go to university next year, but at the price of staying in debt for the rest of my life this is by no means fair....
this would lead to hierarchy in society ... making the rich richer and the poor poorer

those who are really hard working and poor would never be able to fulfil their ambition in life.... :p
03/12/2011 09:45:20
 
greta thompson
i agree with xxxXXXxxx - there is a divide in socety that is constantly growing and i think that the government need to target issues much more important and tax in places it really needed and not so inconvenient.
08/12/2011 12:24:53
 
Avatar
 Brad Ryan
I am all for (most) students. Therefore, I am against tuition fee's alltogether.

I think for (as someone called them) pointless degree's students should pay their own fee's.

But coming from a poor background, my parents worked very hard to send my siblings to uni (and my aunties and uncles did the same). Now we have doctor's (one is still studying to become a plastic surgeon), a dentist, an optician a Psychologist, a solicitor and a computer scientist in the first generation of my family that went to uni.

Had there been more financial support, my parents would not have had to live hand to mouth.
In no way am I saying money should just be handed out, but an investment into the potential of young people/children can produce amazing results.
Poor people just need a little help/chance.
25/12/2011 07:07:28
 
shariar ahmed
i think that going into university is hard i am facing this current situation right now as i am 18 and planning to go to university next year, but at the price of staying in debt for the rest of my life this is by no means fair....
this would lead to hierarchy in society ... making the rich richer and the poor poorer

those who are really hard working and poor would never be able to fulfil their ambition in life.... :p
02/01/2012 20:05:58
 
Michelle Wallace
Why should all the rich kids that sometimes don't even want the opportunity get ito uni at the snap of a finger. I for one would have loved to go to uni, I worked every day of my life saved up as much as I could, to read 4 grand though would have taken me near on 6 years, by the time you pay to live alone it's ridiculous pele think money grows on trees! 12 grand would just be non achievable to so many. It's all very well it cuts out the lazy people, but when you think about it it also cuts out so many more intelligent people! The rich kids can be lazy too, if u ask me it's all just a discrimination on the poor. You think these rich kids are paying their own way? More than likely no, so they can't be bothered if it's not their own money either.
21/01/2012 04:42:22
 
Maurice Hogarth
There should be no charge for any form of education. The education of people (like the assuring of their health) is a service not a business.
I believe that there does need to be serious re-thinking in relation to all aspects of the education system, including the validity of the topics that can be obtained at degree level, as does the requirement for a 'degree' in many job advertisements.
Many of the comments regarding the paying for education demonstrates a level of ignorance and bias/prejudice that is frightening in a supposedly civilised (but apparently essentially uneducated) society.
27/02/2012 11:44:52
 
Phil Booth
The higher education system is bent out of shape. I'm not sure that it is sensible or desirable for as many people as currently go to university to do so - we've lost sight of what 'university' is *for*.

Saddling young people with debt, on the assumption that just because they are a graduate they will get a better job or earn more is wrong.

Access to higher study - academic, vocational, tecghnical, professional - shouldn't all be lumped together (and let's not forget that the universities are reseach institutions as well...) but it should be accessible to anyone - on merit, not wealth.

I'm not against fees in principle, but they've got out of control because of the lie that university is 'for everyone' when it patently is not. The quality of many courses suffers because university has become about 'bums on seats' and statistics.
28/02/2012 23:45:59
 
chloe tydeman
A Levels need to be made harder so that not every other person gains 5 As and gets into uni. Putting the fees up or getting rid of the cap just means that certain people who need to go to uni to become a teacher etc cannot go unless they are from rich families. Someone will need to have a well paid job, live with their parents until they're 30 and not get married/have children until then if they want to save up £36k. Its ridiculous. People can't keep borrowing, we have all seen the effects that has had on the economy.
20/03/2012 16:10:44
 
cherie Ford
I am a full time student at present and i am very aware of the financial implications I will have following my completion and would hate others to be affected in the same way or worse, removing the cap means that some places may charge higher for the same course meaning most families, young students and even older students will have to go with the cheaper option because of the affects it will have after which doesn't always mean its best.
yes money is important because you don't want to be a slave to debt for the rest of your life, so this will remove chances for high learning with low costs or reasonable cost.
I have to young children of my own and wonder what chance have they got to go to university when jobs are hard to get anyway.
I may go to university but stats state that only half will find jobs, sad to say but ture.
Question is is it all worth it?
I'll tell you in 3 years lol
27/03/2012 12:54:00
 
Neal Austin
QUALIFICATIONS DONT MAKE THE JOB ITS THE EXPERIENCE BUT THE CURRENT EMPLOYERS WANT A DEGREE SO THAT THEY CAN WEEB OUT THE NON DEGREE WITH THE ONES WHO HAVE A DEGREE SIMPLE
03/05/2012 19:58:26
 
Sheila Bradford
My son is currently in the last weeks of his degree and from his experiences would like to put a different slant on tuition fees. If they are to be higher in the future, students should be assured they will get value for money. Lecturers who go on secondments during the term and are no longer available to students should be prevented from doing so. Also Lecturers who ignore students e-mails and requests for discussion and worse those who set deadlines for coursework and then do not even bother to mark it for months on end, if at all, should be removed from their posts.
03/05/2012 22:26:31
 
Kapril Wooley
I disagree. As a recent grad, I found the increasing tuition fees harder to pay as my education went on. I want to go back to school to earn my master's degree, but at the moment I cannot afford to not work, have loans to pay back, and the costs of going back have warded me off from returning until I have a bit of a savings to continue my education. Removing the cap just allows uni's to continue to increase the fees.
15/05/2012 20:53:43
 

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