to feel sad that 3yo dd might never be able to achieve her potential due to tuition fees?

[bytheMoonlight]

I look at dd, who is due to start nursery in January and wonder what is going to happen if one day she decides she wants a career that means going to university.

I feel so upset that her chances are being blighted before she has even entered education. We could offer her little financial support and the thought of her leaving with all that debt is beyond comprehension and would not qualify for help.

I feel so sad about this.

at least at 3 you can start saving a bit. too late for those who should be going to university in a couple of years.

crap though.

At least we all have time to save up. A little each month for 16 years will mount up nicely. I feel very sorry for the children who are in secondary school already whose parents wont have time. They are the generation that will really miss out.

Who knows what will change by the time our 3yo's are 18? We might have a US system where there are loads of bursaries and lots of university based jobs to make it easier on them. Or another government might have changed the system completely - again.

Aren't you rather jumping the gun ! 15 years ias a long time for FE funding, and idneed the requirements fo the jobs market, to change again. You can still have a career without going to university.

YABU.

Tuition fees are shit at any level, but there are 15 years before she'll have to make that big decision and a lot could/will change. I expect that we'll probably follow some American style of programme where upon the most gifted students are eligible for scholarships. But, even if we don't, as many, many other mners have explained the fees will be re-payable upon graduation and upon achieving a certain salary.

She will not pay for tuition fees until she is on a decent salary.

Do you feel mortgages are also unacceptable?

you're worried at 3??
you can save for it
things may have changed by then

how do you think us with teens feel???

agree with the Yuleloglady - she is only 3 and you have 15 years to start saving for her. That is what I am doing for my dc.

But you have to remember she may not want to go to university, or she may not be academic enough, and there are plenty of other ways she can fulfill her potential even is she doesn't get a degree.

oh and YABU!!!

I think you are massively overthinking and should go play in the snow with your very young child.

Well, with the money you were going to put towards her uni fee's, who don't we all pool together and hire some extreme-ists to blow up parliament?

Like a successful "Guy Fawkes" the only difference would be that in the future people burn models of Cameron and Clegg rather than the bomber?

While we are at it, we should send one after Thatcher too, the last thing we need is her draining the blood from more virgins to survive another 20 fucking years...grumble grumble

christiana - 21k is nothing where i live - you would have an appaling standard of living if your household had to survive on this and you were also expected to pay off tuition fees and save for a pension. a mortgage would be quite out of the question as you would never be able to get a big enough mortgage or save for a deposit.

if you are against this email your MP and complain. They are voting tomorrow

ffs, live a little in the now.

belgo - you are right, she might not want to go to uni. But i think that decision should be made on whether she's intelligent enough and if 3 years of study appeals to her.

Not based on if she can cope with a massive debt hanging over her. Or based on how much money her parents can or can't save.

Yes you are YABU.

Ridiculous! Cannot believe you really worry about your 3 year old and Uni. Just a cover for playing politics.

In reality, crap degrees have never been worth the paper they are written on. Better not to bother. On the other hand a meningful degree from a Russell Group uni is worth a minimum of £250k over a career, which more than compensates for even £50k in total of lost income plus fees etc. People in the U.S go to uni with far higher fees and think nothing of it.

I do regret the days when people pad no fees and actually got a means tested living grant. On the other hand, when I went to Uni, it was along with 10% of the population, not 43% (as I believe it is now). Far better to support the students who will really contribute to the nation (top 25% max) and not encourage the rest to go to uni unless they can pay for it.

YABU - she's 3! You have time to save something towards her living costs at least.

Riven it's a huge amount of money to save but I will encourage my children to live at home and study (like me and dh both did) and to work in the holidays and at weekends (like I did).

yanbu

but area any of us really doing anything to protest about this, or are we just saving up??

we should be joining the students on the streets, its our kids who will be paying £9k per year (or not..because we cannot afford it)

the country is short of money -we all know that, but to decide that to reduce investment in the future potential of the country is the way forward is BONKERS.

i feel the same about my dcs and they are only 1 and 4 :(

i cant even save for them as i can't afford it at the moment, its hard enough paying for the basics.

yet at the same time, i went to university and i haven't exactly done much with my life so its not always a given a degree leads to a glittering, well paid career.

We''l be living in a socialist anarchist utopia by then so don't worry. Or eating rats in the burned out ruins of capitalism. Or celebrating the implementation of fusion and universal world peace. Or the LHC reaches energies high enough to create a new singularity that destroys the entire universe in a microsecond. Or something else.

Riven

Mount one of those "Cow Catcher" things from trains to the front of your chair, and ask to be pushed into the riot police!!

That would make Headlines!

YABU. And defeatist. You have plenty of time to do something about it. Teach your daughter that despite the odds appearing to be stacked against you, with hard work and determination you can often turn things around.

Your post has made me angry tbh.