To think it used to be free/way cheaper to go to university??

[Univercities]

When I went to university to do my degree it was practically free (republic of Ireland) I had to pay €800 per year registration fee (which I worked/saved for every summer) and that was it!! I was very lucky that my parents paid my accommodation fees(which included bill costs)! Approximately 4K per year. But I worked every weekend and lived off that money!
Then when I did my PGCE in the uk I paid approximately 3k but got it back throughout the year! I had worked all summer and saved 2.5k to live off and then used the 3k to pay rent and other costs (£62 per week)

I know I was lucky! But has it changed dramatically since or were ppl always taking out loans etc?? That was only 10years ago! NC’d!

"When it was free far fewer people used to go" .

Nope. Its been 20 something percent of 18 year olds since the early 80s, and even then in the 70s if you included all HE then the figure was similar.

Its not an unsustainable model, other major industrialised countries manage to send their young people to university without charging fees.

Why do you think you might be unreasonable?

Yes, it used to be free and you got a grant which you never had to pay back.

I went to university in the late 80s. I had no fees and full grant. I didn't work in term time and had no financial support from my parents. I left with money in the bank. I do think the accepted standard of living as a student was less than it is now - one kitchens shared between 20 students was usual.
On the downside probably less than 10% of my year group went onto higher education at that time although I know some of them did it after some years working or having children.

Nope. Its been 20 something percent of 18 year olds since the early 80s, and even then in the 70s if you included all HE then the figure was similar.

32.6% in 2017 according to UCAS. 12% from the 1960's to the end of the 1970's. It increased to 20% by 1990.

Sources:
www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/largest-ever-proportion-uks-18-year-olds-entered-higher-education-2017-ucas-data-reveals
www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jan/23/uk.education

I went to uni in 78.

I got some grant but my parents paid the rest. They were not high earners.

The only people who got s full grant were those whose parents were in low paid work or not working.

Life has changed massively since then. We lived in truly appalling conditions compared with today. We spent hardly anything on food, or clothes.

We were able to go on the dole in the summer holidays though.

27 percent of 18 year olds went to university/HE

www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/record-percentage-young-people-are-university

You are also confusing university with HE. In 1980 14 percent of the 18 year old old population in England went to one of the 30 somethings universities that were established. This did not include Polytechnics or other insititutions.

Yes, it was generally easier pre-1990s. Students were still hard up and had to take part time jobs, etc, especially if their parents didn't or couldn't contribute but at least they weren't saddled with debt back then.

Good thing is student debts only have to be repaid when a graduate is earning so much salary (I dunno what threshold is), and are written off after twelve years. However I've known a few who've had to pay off student debts and they considered the rates reasonable. I'm fairly ignorant and am only going on what I've been told or have read. I really don't like the current system but it may change.

Written off after 12 years ? That's not correct.

Totally free and I got a grant. But then there were fewer people going and local authorities had the money.

I think we just don't make it a priority in this country. Back in June Boris was proposing tax cuts that would cost the same as free uni fees. Everyone was quite happy here about that.

I probably wouldn't even bother with a degree nowadays unless it was a focused one. So many graduates working in call centres and crappy jobs from what no can see. I've got a few high flying graduate mates but in general the ones who pursued trades and became small business owners are doing better.

When I went to university at the end of the 70s the local education authority paid tuition fees and there was a means-tested grant for students. I only got a minimum grant as my parents earned too much!
When I went back to do a postgrad in 1986 I was assessed as independent and received a full grant (plus tuition fees).
I think the system was much fairer then and certainly did not penalise students from low-income families.
Also, you need to remember that there were far fewer universities and there was competition for places. It seems to me that anyone can apply to be a student these days, so long as they are prepared to take on a large amount of debt, but I am not sure of the merits of this as not everyone can benefit from a university education.

Graduates reach their peak earning potential later in life. Research shows that 25 percent of jobs still have a degree as minimum entry, whilst 45 percent are of graduate level.

I received £600 per term for my maintenance grant-which was enough to live on and enjoy myself! My parents didn't have to contribute anything, there were no tuition fees, I claimed unemployment benefit during the summer holidays and never touched my overdraft!

My sons left owing over £45000 each!

I have a first class degree in English Literature from the University of Leeds. I've spent 12 years as a teacher, maximum wage I've earned in that time was 33k.

Now I'm a SAHM. No idea about the future but I doubt I'll earn anything much as I don't want to go back into teaching (it's shit) and getting back into the workplace, in a different field, after a career break with kids isn't going to be easy.

I'm fucking glad I don't have 50k of student debt to worry about as well. Uni isn't always worth it.

Was it really as high as 14% to just the established universities in 1980? I went in 1978 and thought it was about 5%

I got the minimum grant of about £100??? My parents had to pay my hall fees, etc. No university fees.

DS's university education, including Masters, stands at £41,000 plus about £22,500 living expenses - he lived at home for his Masters. Applying for PhD's.

DD is presently in her 2nd year and will rack up similar.

But if 27% go into HE somebody has to pay for it and I don't see why it should be the next generation of plumbers and hairdressers who haven't had the privilege of a university education.

Mine would have gone 40 years ago. The worrying thing is the debt being undertaken by those who wouldn't have gone and who are unlikely to secure a traditional graduate job paying graduate pay.

5 percent was before the Robbins report, even by the end of the 60s it was higher.

Graduates on average pay higher taxes, and are more likely to be in work so the idea that others are paying for it is erroneous.

Germany sends a higher percentage of 18 year olds than we do and there are no fees there.

People need to chill out about the debt.

You will likely never pay it all back anyway.

I still owe £9k and they won't be getting a penny out of me, as you have to be earning over £20k to pay it (and thanks to popping out 2 kids in quick succession and having to take a part time evening job, that won't be happening any time soon!)

You need to think of it more as a way to get a better job. As/when you are paying it back, it's nothing £20 a month.

Its only £20 a month if you earn just over the threshold, I know lots of young professionals paying into the hundreds.

It isn't erronepus Malylis because there are far more of them than there are graduates.

DH and I worked it out that if our DC earnt £80k pa plus they would pay back a high amount far in excess of the loan. Thus we decided to pay their fees. Still a bargain compared to their school fees.

UK student loans aren’t really a proper loan - they work like tax for the wealthy. So basically a low earner will never need to pay it off.

It is erroneous because the vast majority of tax payers are not net contributors, on a The same argument wasn't trotted out when tax cuts for higher earners are proposed, its an appeal to emotion really.

Graduates on average earn more so pay higher taxes too, and are more likely to be in employment.

Also 45 percent of graduates work in public sector services and create net benefits to society.

My cohort were the first to pay tuition fees - £1000 a year in 1998. The big difference to the set up now is that you had to pay them up front - you couldn’t register without at least handing over a cheque for £333 each term. Some people paid reduced fees or none at all. We did receive a small maintenance grant in first year as a sweetener but otherwise could borrow a max of £3k a year (so £2k to live off after the fees).

I actually prefer the system now. Having to arrive with cold, hard cash was a real struggle for many.

Go to Europe to study? Lots of courses are run in English. One of my 6th formers went to Sweden

Brexit will change all that. Non EU students may have to pay higher tuition fees and get private health insurance.