University Tuition Fees

[Gromit]

One of the first policies of the Coalition Government was to triple University fees (despite Clegg promising not to).

We were told it would save us money at a time of austerity. Students were to take loans which they would payback when they got a good job.

Except many haven't and the Government are writing off the debts.

And the write offs are greater than the money saved if they hadn't increased fees in the first place.

Just about sums up this shambles of a Coalition.

Should the fees now be reduced to save money? Scotland and Wales seem to be able to afford to set reduced fees. Or is the policy of high fees designed to deter the plebs from furthering their education.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/21/student-fees-policy-costing-more

[EDDIE51]

I was lucky, I left school in 1968 and started straight away as a laboratory technician with ICI research . I did 'day release' 4 days at work and 1 day at collage plus 2 evening classes. After 7 years of this I had a degree in industrial chemistry and 7 years work expirience. I was then able to go out to Zambia and work there for 3 years due to my work expierience.

[factor-fiction]

Or is the policy of high fees designed to deter the plebs from furthering their education.

I doubt it, since most plebs will never earn enough to pay much , if any, back.

It's a very confusing system but I'm surprised the left don't like it because it does mean only those students who go on to earn high incomes have to pay it all back and those students who don't earn a high salary after graduating never have to pay a penny.

[factor-fiction]

The repayments system is also unfair as it's not based on annual income- it's based on what you earn in a week/month. I can earn, just for example, £600 in one week and because it's over the weekly limit of around £300 I have deductions of around 9% on the balance. But then I may earn very little over the next few weeks, but I don't get a rebate- so in a year I may earn below the threshold yet will have paid a not insignificant amount in loan repayments and there is no refund available. It should be applied more like income tax.

In reality though, under the new system, very few students will ever have to repay the whole loan and most will only pay a fraction of the total loan. Nevertheless I know a lot of students and parents do not understand the system , despite all Martin Lewis's efforts, and worry about something that shouldn't really be a worry.