AIBU to use a NI address for cheaper OU fees?

[fakepersonwithfakename]

I've NCed for this.

I would like to do an OU degree in a subject I'm interested in, but it would cost about £18,000 for the 360 units required which I really can't justify, especially as it's not even work-related.

If I lived in NI it would cost closer to £6,000, which I could probably afford spread over the duration of the course.

I have family in NI and could easily use one of their addresses and get them to send on any textbooks etc. They wouldn't mind me doing this.

Is this a terrible idea? And is it immoral? AIBU to consider it?

Stoorie, the usual snotty MN poster. No need to reply actually, it would only be (a) snotty and (b) missing the point .

What point am I missing? The difference is the cost is that the devolved government decided to subsidise higher education out of their budget

Do it OP. Also, can I use your address in England to buy my car insurance?

It would be akin to NHS tourism for something cosmetic. It’s not for you, you don’t live there, vote there, or pay taxes there - so yeah, YABU. If it’s too expensive and you don’t “need” to do it, why are you doing it? If not to further your career, then does that mean you’re as high up as you can go in work and you also have 30hrs a week spare? Because it doesn’t make sense to do a degree if you don’t need one but have not got enough money to pay for it.

I don’t think the poster was saying that the OU was a micky mouse university: I think she was saying you might pay much less if you find a Micky mouse university to do the course at..

Why would you think that when the poster was pretty clear about what she meant?

Why is the OU so expensive?? Can’t imagine paying that much for a Mickey mouse uni

I have no idea how NI subsidise uni, different priorities, different budgets, different responsibilities to England presumably?

I'm sure there's a breakdown somewhere of where the actual money comes from.

It's probably the same reason why Wales and Scotland etc continue to have free prescriptions, money comes from somewhere...or isn't being spent somewhere else?

NI recognises the importance of university education for its economy and this invests in it (and without an assembly nothing will change). England has decided that the costs should be mainly borne by the student, so increases headline fees whilst making loans available from public money - the subsidy is applied at loan level with the expectation that less than half will be recouped via repayments.

Doing a few minutes if googling

"Numbers of NI undergraduates are lower per capita than across the UK as a whole."

The NI economy isn't as strong as that of England.

So maybe they're investing in Uni education to get more people to go to uni, to drive the economy?

As for OU, I can only presume that NI residents are administered and funding is requested from NI based in the evidence the student provides?

They do check up on this sort of thing - they checked up on me because I was sitting exams in a different home nation to the one I claimed to be studying in.

I had a legitimate reason, and they were quite happy with my explanation.

You won't.

probably the same reason why Wales and Scotland etc continue to have free prescriptions, money comes from somewhere...or isn't being spent somewhere else?

The Scottish Gov decided to use part of the health budget on free prescriptions for all as this is cheaper than for example means testing. Westminster are responsible for the health budget in England and don't choose to spend money on this. Scotland don't spend money on walk in centres in the way England do.

You will have to do exams. These are local to your address. And won't be changed. So you'll have to go to NI once a year.

Tutiorials are local also. These happen every six to eight weeks.

Going to NI once per year for one day would not be a deterrent when you are saving all that money in fees. Posters keep mentioning tutorials too, you are not required to attend and most people don't attend any throughout their degree.

but if the funding comes through loans as mentioned by PP, then surely you're looking at defrauding banks, the government and the OU?

Surely to get the loan you'd need things like proof of address such as utility bills etc? They might question why the money is going to a bank account registered outside of NI/different to the address of application etc?

You also have an exam centre there and then have to explain why you would prefer one in England.

What subject is it op? There is a distance learning degree at Dublin City Uni, there are people from Europe and even the US doing it as it's a cost effective alternative.

www.dcu.ie/connected/index.shtml