Anyone discouraged kids from university in light of tuition fee rises?

[Officedepot]

In light of uni fees now being £9k per year (so £27k for three year degree) plus living costs students starting uni now would be coming out with debt over £40k

Anyone actively discouraged kids from going to uni on this basis?

I can understand if they are going to a top uni to study medicine or law etc, but AIBU to suggest if they are going to a rubbish uni to do a pointless degree it should be discouraged.

I have lots of friends who did degrees at second rate unis in random subjects and are still earning a tiny amount in their early 30s.......

[nomorecrumbs]

Living costs are the bugger. Have you considered him taking up a part-time job, if his Uni allows him to do this? (Oxbridge don't allow).

[BackforGood]

I'm not discouraging ds - indeed, we were at an open day this weekend, but I have been presenting different options and getting him to consider different ways of doing things, as well as looking at universities.

I think we need to get our heads round it not being a 'debt' in the traditional sense, but an extra tax to pay once you earn more money, and, as someone said several pages (and months!) ago, our taxes are SO much lower than they used to be in the days of no tuition fees and grants, it just means that slightly more of the tax burden falls on people who have taken out of the system to be educated to a higher level.

What is also very noticeable though, is that jobs you might have entered into with A-levels, some 30 years ago, are now asking for a degree to even apply, so I still think it's worth it, if you are able.

[nomorecrumbs]

"What is also very noticeable though, is that jobs you might have entered into with A-levels, some 30 years ago, are now asking for a degree to even apply, so I still think it's worth it, if you are able."

Exactly, BackforGood...like nursing, where you could train as an apprentice at 16 in the 1960s...is now a degree-level profession maybe they start a little higher up the chain, but I doubt it's much.

[cricketballs]

he will have to take up a part time job there is no question about that

There are bursaries, grants, additional support for those from lower income families; high income families have more chance of being able to afford to support their DC; we fit into neither of these categories

[Bonsoir]

"They can get a grant of up to just over £3,300 which covers most of the cost of halls."

DSS1 has hall fees of £5,500, plus various extras, plus sport pass = £6,000. Before any meals.

[Squitten]

Our eldest DC is only 5 so goodness only knows what state the higher education system will be in by the time we have to start thinking about it.

When I was studying, university seemed to be what everyone was aiming for and if you could at all get there, that was what you did. Now, however, I would still encourage my DC to consider it but to really look at it as one of many options and to think about how it is going to help them rather than spending all that money simply because they can't think of anything better to do.

As far as payment goes, we are trying to save as much as we can for them but that would be strictly towards tuition. They can fund their own living like we had to (unless they turn out to be Oxbridge geniuses )