Anybody else regretting and feeling bad about encouraging their kids to go to uni?

[Gh0ststory]

The loans situation in the media has really made me regret encouraging them to go. I did encourage apprenticeships but wish I’d pushed harder and actively discouraged uni.

Yeah apprenticeships, particularly degree ones, are rare as hens’ teeth. Friend’s ultra-capable, stellar academic and with relevant work experience daughter got nowhere even after trying 18 months. Now off to uni.

The Inns of Court offer some financial support for the most promising but it's very, very competitive. Debt can be huge.

It's not just a question of eg passing the Law Conversion and Barristers' Course and you'll get a pupillage. Competition is horrendous for pupillage. A relative got an Outstanding on the Bar Course (over 80% average on all 12 exams) and a prize, plus excellent work experience but it still took 2 years to get pupillage. Some chambers may get hundreds of applicants.

The job is not for the faint hearted. You need plenty of self belief and hard work so working well into the night, weekends etc as needed. The opposition barristers are going to be attacking your work every day, of course! It's a very small world so your reputation is everything.

I believe many barristers leave the self employed Bar in the first 5 years.

It wouldn’t occur to me that my DC won’t go to university as so many careers require a minimum of a 2.1 from Oxbridge/RG. Why close off a whole swathe of career options.

So no. We will probably just suck up the fees, the same way as we did the school fee VAT.

I do feel immensely sorry for those kids that will be saddled with a load of debt from a substandard university and end up earning a pittance in a role for which they didn’t need a university education though.

I have no sympathy for those who chose to get themselves thousands in debt who judged me for being 16 and pregnant and acted like they were better than me.
and are now working for the same pay as me but thousands in debt.

Not everyone wants to undertake a degree apprenticeship as they tend to be too limited in their subject range. Equally, the career alignment makes it a different experience.

What is the alternative?
Apprenticeship ideal but few and far between.

While a graduate and non graduate may start off on similar salary, no degree likely means very limited career progression.

Getting that first job can be difficult, but once graduate has some work experience, in many jobs they will usually be selected over non graduates.

Keeping loan amounts to a minimum is definitely advisable. Help from Mom and Dad where possible, part time jobs, summer jobs, accommodation choices, etc. Local uni where they stay at home & commute saves an absolute fortune. Study abroad can also be an option for cheaper college education.

In the US many parents start saving for college costs when their children are born. Maybe that is the way forward? Little and often for duration of 18 years. Not easy during COL crisis I know. £50 a month over 18 years is almost £11k before factoring in interest.

I would always encourage 3rd level education so long the academic ability is there. Ideally a degree that will result in a job! But I am also a big believer in following your passion and trying to make a go of it.

No we did discuss degree apprenticeships for what he’s studying but both thought a degree was better.

We also have an obsession in this country with the 40 % of young people who can get into University. They are the ones largely who are academic enough to go to University and will still, despite the debt and, whatever university they go to, earn more than non graduates. If 1% manage to get onto a degree apprenticeship programme, then the others probably should be able to access higher education through University. What we should be more concerned with are the 60% of young people's who do not have the chance of going to be University. They are the ones who are more likely to be unemployed and suffer mental ill health. They are there ones who need to be helped to access apprenticeships, whether that is in trades or other career paths, as well as accessing non graduate level learning through apprenticeships and/ or FE, but again, the apprenticeship opportunities in the trades are few and far between, and far outstripped by demand. Telling someone who wants to do a music degree that they should do a plumbing apprenticeship does not help those who don't have the opportunity, grades or desire to go to University ( the majority of YP) . It gives additional opportunities to those who already have options, even if it is forcing them to do something they don't want to do, and makes competition even more fierce for those without opportunities.

Yes depends on what they want to do. A lot of them expand their social lives at uni though and even meet their life partners. We are fortunate in that we were able to pay for both kids’ degrees but if they had debt I might think otherwise.

I don’t think parents should encourage or discourage anything; it’s up to the kids to make their own decisions and do their own research. Parents are way too involved nowadays

No I don’t regret them going at all. My dd is thriving post grad and has a job that was unachievable without a degree ( and you could say it was more an arts based degree)
not once do I regret letting them have freedom to choose, I never forced it either way and both DDs ( one still at uni) made their own informed decisions

I'm not sure that's the case. Some courses offer very little tutoring and independent living can be gained through other means, such as travelling and working.

VPs are earning vast salaries 400k p.a. getting bums on seats through lower academic entrance qualifications, then not supporting the students who are struggling academically and fail 1st year...they simply let them repeat the year which equals more fees (aka debt).

The worldwide reputation of UK universities is declining due to weaker standards.