Tuition fees set to rise

[Cartwrightandson]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/education/2024/nov/04/university-fees-in-england-to-rise-next-autumn-for-first-time-in-eight-years

I’m shocked!

I’m not really.

They need to cover those NI increases after all!

Genuine question as I don't know but how did universities cope before tuition fees were introduced?

The government paid universities the fees for tuition.

They were funded by the state, but far fewer children went to university. It wasn't necessary to have a degree for many entry level jobs. DH got a job as an FX trader on the basis of his A-Levels, whereas these days, you'd need a Masters in Comp Sci, Maths or Economics.

I think this is irrelevant for the vast majority of graduates. I don't even pay interest rate on my loan, never mind have any hope of clearing it before it's wiped off. So it doesn't really matter whether it is 100k or 1million. I pay the same amount every month.

Anyone who works in HE will tell you that many Universities are close to bankruptcy and have been desperate to raise tuition fees for home students for years. It's been coming for a long time. The Tories persistently ignored the issue and kicked it back to the institutions.

It's far from ideal for students but at least it shows Labour are acknowledging the problem head-on. Not hiding from it like the Tories were....

Hardly anyone went to uni back in the day….( im 59)

Then Blair wanted 50% to attend university

I genuinely don't know how universities have kept going with the fees capped for so long. We'll be affected (x2), and I don't love how much fees are, but if it keeps institutions open (one DC is at a Uni that is probably financially secure, the other is likely to go to one that I suspect would be on dicey gorund).

Which way does your yabu vote work op?

Ahoudk just go back to how it was. With AI coming along the type of jobs people will do will change and won't require a degree

As long as they also increase student loans it shouldn’t really be a problem. Student loans not keeping pace with inflation is an issue. For a lot of people it’s really a graduate tax they aren’t ever going to pay off.

How many times did labour say they weren't increasing tuition fees? And lo and behold.

For context, university finances are now so stretched that we require top level approval to spend any money, including for basic office stuff. My uni isn't one of those on the brink.

I don't think they said it at the last election did they? I didn't think tuition fees came up much

That's a very clever way of spinning something negative!!

If they don't raise fees many universities will close. Even now whole departments are closing, lecturers are being made redundant all over the place. It's an industry in serious trouble.

Scotland still manages to cope educating it's population without tuition fees.
It's a mystery why there's apparently "no money" for us though.

I'm in my 60's and no one I knew at school went to University. The Government paid for those who did, but numbers of students were far less than today.

If unis are also going to be paying more in NI contributions for all staff - from cleaners, maintenance, finance, admissions, admin to teaching staff at all levels - won't this offset any money raised through the increased fees?
So basically, students paying more for not a lot?

Lots of MNers have repeatedly said they want to pay more for public services, this is just one example of how that money is raised directly from users of those services. Everyone is keen that public services are better, that doesn’t work unless everyone pays their fair share for what they use/take. Tuition is rising to stop universities from closing, this benefits our children. I fully support the rise in tuition fees.

Blair wanted 50% to go to unis, which meant more people overall had a degree. Therefore employers could demand a degree where in reality it's irrelevant to the job. But that ship has sailed now, so unless you are going into a trade, even the most basic jobs now are requesting a degree.

The tuition hike and a population lull in 18 year olds, plus COL put students off going, while universities were facing increased costs, wages, energy, pensions, etc so universities started relying on overseas students to top up what was missing in their income. Then the visa changes meant that post grads couldn't bring their family or partner to with them, so unsurpringly overseas students chose elsewhere to study, causing a huge gap in uni finances.

I don't think the extra 250 per year is going to make much difference. If fees had kept up with inflation they'd be closer to 15k a year, plus maintenance loans.

Sad as it is, I think some of the lower performing unis will need to close. I just don't see what else is going to happen long term.