To think scrapping tuition fees is a terrible idea

[bumbleymummy]

Just that really. Corbin saying he's going to scrap fees from September. Bloody stupid idea and something else that we can't afford to pay for.

I'm on the fence. I think for things like nursing it absolutely makes sense, I cannot believe how much we expect students to pay to train to go into a relatively low-paid, demanding profession like nursing.

I'm not convinced university is the right route for the majority, though, and I do not think that all degrees should be free. I did a degree in an 'academic' subject because that's what was expected, was fairly bored and unmotivated for three years, and often look at the 18 year old apprentice I work with and think that would have been a much better route for me.

I do think that imposing fees on the courses for nurses, midwives etc is very wrong as they are working on placements during their degree but perhaps some 'retainer' should be put in place e.g. They need to work within the NHS for 2 or 3 years following their course.

I didn't go to uni as i couldn't afford the tuition fees, on top of accommodation living etc its a huge regret of mine.
Whilst I don't know if they should be free (it would be amazing if it could be, but i don't know the economics on it) you shouldnt leave uni with 50k debt, thats just bonkers.

I grew up in an affluent area and a lot of people did go to uni just to fill time until they had to get a job, the fees wouldn't and didn't put them off. Most havent used those degrees in their careers and whilst they had a great experience i am not sure its benefited them in any way other than that.

I can't help thinking at 18 not all people know what they want to do. Life sometimes gets in the way of plans and we gear everything for 18 to 25's.

What i would like to see is more opportunity to study later, especially things like nursing, social work or teaching. Things people tend to go to a little later in life. Maybe something like a uni credit where you get one chance at uni fee free (or reduced, with funding for the likes of NHS or "community" careers ), but you can do it at 18 or at any age that credit just sort of sits there until you want to or are ready to use it.

If tuition fees are scrapped, will they bring back grants for living allowance as well?

babyhamster i completely agree we need more apprentice, practical type jobs, theres so much more to learn in life than just SPAG, maths and reading. Yet thats all the schools push forward even science has fallen by the wayside

awful idea - why should people without degrees pay for the middle classes to get degrees?

What the hell? Working class people go to universities too you know, and actually more young adults from working class backgrounds might be attracted to further studies if their fees are paid which is brilliant.

A student leaving university with over 30k of debts is just wrong. I'm supporting corbyn with this all the way. It's a shame the stupid lib dems went back on their word: I can't ever trust them again because of that betrayal.

having a degree mostly benefits the person having the degree. Honestly, if you are doing a good degree and are a skilled worker, why should you be subsidized by other people that didn't get this chance?

Should an IT professional (starting wages usually around £30k) be subsidized from the taxes of someone working in starbucks? I'll say no, personally.

Of course it's economically viable! We did it ourselves for decades until fairly recently (I think my generation was the first to have £1K tuition fees). And plenty of other countries also offer this as they think it is a good investment rather than simply an expenditure.

education should be free, because it benefits the whole of society whenever we educate anyone in it.

If people who do degrees make more money then take it back from them in income tax.

Many people with degrees have chosen to give back to society rather than accumulate wealth, so why make them pay for a 'wage benefit' when they don't experience it?

I think that the high interest rates imposed on the loans are very wrong and the government should 'own' the loan for its entirety (and not be allowed to sell it on)

are there high interest rates? I thought the rate of interest was very low?

France and Germany offer almost free uni education.

economically viable means different things to different people. The opportunity cost of this policy is funding for other areas, such as primary and secondary education, where you really could improve outcomes for all children.

I think it is 6.1% from September - currently 4.6%

I'm with BabyHamster. I went to university when it was free and so it every single one of my year (except two who went to that Oxford & County Secretarial School Hunt a Husband place...). Should I have gone then and done the degree I did? No. Unequivocally. But... at least there weren't that many of me then! There were just the universities and polytechnics.

I think the pendulum has swung too much the other way now, what with parents interfering and students demanding value for money (rightly or wrongly!) but if things are free I don't think they are valued and also there is no point to hundreds of thousands of kids piling off to university when all it does is massage the unemployment figures.

France and Germany offer almost free uni education.

Good for them, this isn't France or Germany.

NancyWake - but in Europe people largely attend their local university and take "units" rather than doing a 3-year set course. There is little notion of going off to have a good time and living in halls of residence etc.

I went to uni back when fees were low. Far too many people went to university 'just because' took out loans to fund their partying and then either dropped out or graduated with a 2:2 and ended up doing a job that paid no more than they would have been if they'd gone to uni but with much more debt.

At least by charging fees people really weigh up whether they go and students seem to take their courses much more seriously than we ever did.

It's a waste of resources to have too many people going to university when as a society there aren't enough good quality graduate jobs for everyone.

that is quite high (interest).

That doesn't seem at all fair. I remember when they were brought in the rates of interest were very low

Too many are doing degrees that don't pay off, which will only be hastened if university becomes free - I'd rather the money was spent on improving life outcomes for non-academic students in primary and secondary education.

Who benefits - graduates that earn most in the future, benefit the most from free tuition. Beats me how that's socially optimal.

www.ifs.org.uk/publications/9217

I am uncertain about this also. I would like to see reductions for medical related degree courses but currently the numbers attending University are at an all time high so the fee's haven't put everyone off.

I'm in favour of scrapping fees but I don't necessarily think that everyone should go to University. University is a particular kind of education that is not for everyone. I agree with PP that we should be moving away from seeing University education like a service.

This is an interesting read for anyone that is interested in the topic (written from Scottish perspective but applicable worldwide):

bellacaledonia.org.uk/2017/02/13/the-long-lingering-death-of-the-scottish-democratic-intellect-the-destruction-of-the-scottish-university/

*Who benefits - graduates that earn most in the future, benefit the most from free tuition. Beats me how that's socially optimal.

www.ifs.org.uk/publications/9217*

Well if those graduates have access to the education based on merit and not on inherited wealth then it's better than the alternative, surely?

We'll get loads of people going to university 'just because'. It devalues tertiary education.

Actually what you mean is, loads of poor people going to uni will devalue tertiary education and it should only be for the elite. People who can afford to go now go, regardless of the tuition fees, whereas poorer people can be put off by the fees. So it may lead to poorer people educating themselves, but will have no impact on those who can already afford to go.