Student Loans for all first graduates

[Rosiecidar]

A friend of mine who is 51, mentioned that she is going to university to study English as she loves reading. She said she has been able to get a student loan she hasn’t done a degree and as long as she is below 60 she’s fine. She has a very comfortable life, has worked a little here more so she has something to do. She mentioned not being bothered about the debt as she wasn’t going to work afterwards and it was an interesting thing to do. I found this quite annoying when young people are trying to begin their lives and are straddled with debt which they are trying to pay.

I don't see how your friend doing a degree and young people paying debt are connected in any shape or form. I've been paying my student loans and I still don't begrudge your friend doing this. If anything, I admire her for it. She is not breaking any rules and her not doing a degree isn't going to change circumstances for those of us who pay a little extra every month.

What the hell are you on about? Why on earth wouldn't you be anything other than pleased for her? She has as much right as anyone to go get her degree.

Jesus.

51 means up to 19 years left before retirement. That's ages. She could have a whole different career before then. I've recently completed my degree and now doing my masters with the same attitude to the loans as your friend.

I went to Uni as a Mature Student, and had friends who were similar ages to your friend so this is not a new thing.

No idea what this has to do with young people

I took my loan out at 17, I'll never pay it back in full, the interest is more than my repayments each year. It'll be written off at some point. Are you be thinking the same about me? A vast number of people never pay back their student loans, I don't see why age matters.

There are young people who are training to be doctors, nurses and contribute to society they are getting the same loan on the same terms as someone who is doing it as a hobby and has absolutely no intention of working afterwards and it’s being funded by tax payers. I think it’s great at any age to learn new things but personally I would not expect the state to pay.

I loved the mature students on my UG course, 25 years ago. They brought a massively different perspective.

Your friend has been paying tax for years, presumably, and as she says, she wasn’t funded back in the day as she didn’t go,

Good luck to her. You don’t sound very amiable towards her.

Well done your friend for wanting to do this. I’d be pleased for her. Age has nothing to do with it,
Also a student loan is not debt. It’s more of a graduate tax.

Not at all as I presume you have some intention of working even if you aren’t able to pay.

Erm that’s my point she’s not worked other than the odd job for a couple of months. So no she hasn’t paid tax

A first or postgraduate degree in mid-life is an excellent investment in your brain, engagement in society and all round preparedness for the rest of your life.

Bargain for the state …

@Rosiecidar I suspect you’re unaware of the Mature Study and Retraining board on MN? It was established just a few years ago, precisely to encourage and support people like your friend.

It’s here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/maturestudents

Maybe concentrate on improving your own life and stop being so jealous of hers.

Well, when you see where tax gets spaffed, I really couldn’t get upset about this.

Good luck to her, as I said.

Hopefully the issue isn’t really that you are jealous of your friend having had a comfortable life, and is now doing something else she enjoys.

It’s not about that. I just don’t think it’s a great use of limited resources funded by tax payers. I actually think it’s brilliant that she is doing a course, but she can easily afford to pay for it.

So?
The rules are the rules. If you don't agree with them, then go and speak to your MP.
A taxpayer is not some separate entity which funds student loans. The vast majority of us are taxpayers. I worked for 20 years before doing an art degree and I don't feel the slightest bit of guilt that a nebulous taxpayer (ME!!) is paying for the privilege.

Would be interested to hear the data you have to support your ‘vast majority’ . In any event I think there’s a better use for my taxes even though you don’t agree. Although from 2027 no one over 60 will be entitled to a loan because statistically this is the age group most unlikely to pay off the debt.

Yes I work full time. I make payments to my loan every month but it doesn't make a dent.

The employment rate in the UK for people 16-64 is 75%. By definition, the vast majority of people in the UK are taxpayers even if we adjust for people who earn below the tax threshold.
As a childless person who generates very little household waste, I'd much rather my taxes went on something other than schools or waste management. But here we are...
Your friend is not over 60 so, again, I'm not sure how your last statement is relevant.

You can be employed but not be a tax payer.

As I said

Will blow your mind to know that I went back to uni 5 years ago - MA and now final year of PhD, all funded by student loans. Am 60 in a few years. Don’t know if I will ever work given societal attitudes towards older women and returning to work after children.

Personally I think the more educated the society we live in, the better. This applies to older people to.

I'm with you. Giving a student loan to someone in their 60s who has no intention of working to pay to even attempt to pay it back is epitome of the stupidity of things the government does.

Aren't you on a little state funded jolly!

Just to be clear, I totally agree that education is a good thing and has societal benefits. But education costs money. If the government is giving £27,000 odd a year to a person who can afford to pay and has absolutely no intention to get a job to try and pay it, my question is, is this how we want our taxes to be used ?

No but you get piss takers in all walks of life.