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Original poster

Is my son going to get in all this bloody student debt for nothing?

224 replies

Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:17

We are a very low income family. Ds is set to go to university in September. I’m really proud as he is the first one out of my lot to go.

Now I’m seeing headlines suggesting new lockdowns in September.

He has secured the maximum amount of maintenance loan which with course costs is about £18.5k a year.

I can’t believe he is going to get into all this debt if he is going to have to ‘do uni’ from home!

We are so tight for space, not sure how he is going to manage it.

If your dc went to university last year did they get money back. How did it work?

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/07/2021 21:21

No refunds on fees although accommodation contract could be ended early. Dd was in uni accommodation for all except a month , even if teaching was online. What does he hope to study?

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:23

He hopes to study media.

I just hope he has done enough to get in. Pandemic was hell with so many of us in such a small space.

OP posts:
Beebityboo · 17/07/2021 21:23

I'm a mature student who started uni last year. Got a student loan and basic maintenance. I would be incredibly surprised if I get any of that refunded despite not stepping foot on campus once (though I had to shield). The government hold students in complete contempt. Its easier for me to miss the social things now I'm in my thirties but the young ones on the course really struggled.

I don't really have any advice other than to say don't expect student fees to be reimbursed. Also you can cancel starting pretty far down the line so I'd suggest him taking a wait and see approach right now.

sskanky · 17/07/2021 21:25

Christ. He shouldn't get in that debt to study media. No one in the industry rates media studies degrees. What does he actually want to do with it. What university is it?

Chilver · 17/07/2021 21:29

I agree with PP, I wouldn't go into that debt for Media - for a professional course (medicine, law, architecture, engineering etc), yes, but nothing else. I would look at apprenticeships etc instead.

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:29

He has been offered a place at Ravensbourne in London.

He wants to work in production. To be honest I don’t think he really knows at this time.

I’m a bit naive when it comes to uni, I never went and was so proud of him for wanting to go.

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 17/07/2021 21:29

@sskanky

Christ. He shouldn't get in that debt to study media. No one in the industry rates media studies degrees. What does he actually want to do with it. What university is it?
This. Not being able to attend in person is the least of his worries.
Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:30

I suggested apprenticeships but he wants to go.

OP posts:
Santastealer · 17/07/2021 21:33

Honestly the degree snobbery on here is ridiculous!

Yes it’s a lot of debt, but the kid wants to go to uni, that should be celebrated no matter what he wants to study.

After his degree he could go into a graduate scheme which a lot of major companies offer. They don’t always care what the degree is in as long as you have one.

userperuser · 17/07/2021 21:34

My DS will start his final year of a physics degree in September and has studied the vast majority from home at full price, shocking as the degree should include lab experiments.

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:34

I was under the impression and maybe I’m wrong that companies wanted graduates to see Candidates were educated to degree level.

OP posts:
userperuser · 17/07/2021 21:36

@Santastealer

Honestly the degree snobbery on here is ridiculous!

Yes it’s a lot of debt, but the kid wants to go to uni, that should be celebrated no matter what he wants to study.

After his degree he could go into a graduate scheme which a lot of major companies offer. They don’t always care what the degree is in as long as you have one.

I studied law and it’s one of the most overrated degrees you can do, most of the people I graduated with have never worked in law.
LIZS · 17/07/2021 21:36

A lot of grad schemes have been cancelled during the pandemic. They may, or may not resume in time. Op I would suggest practical experience is more important than the degree for a creative career. Does the course offer work placements and internships?

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:38

@LIZS yes it does.

OP posts:
NekoShiro · 17/07/2021 21:38

I studied for a year and two months but had to pay for both years, I'm currently sat on about £25k student loan debt, the only thing that made it worth it was the fact that I was living in London for a year which was amazing.

Can he defer the place for a year?

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:40

I think to defer we will need to find out what his a-levels are first.

Maybe if he defers in the meantime he could do an apprenticeship Confused

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 17/07/2021 21:41

It’s not degree snobbery, it’s reality. Not all degrees carry the same weight in the employment market. Graduates are ten a penny now and employers are more choosy than ever because they can afford to be.

omgthepain · 17/07/2021 21:41

My stepson is deferring and hopes to go next year owing to potential further waves this autumn we've had a discussion with him snd he's spoken to people who "went to university last year" snd have had the worst experience of going
Me and his Dad and his Mum and stepdad had
A
Zoom meeting with him and it was his mum who said about deferring and we all agreed
He's going to do some part time work and volunteering

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:42

@omgthepain so he doesn’t have to have his a levels to defer? My ds got a conditional offer.

OP posts:
sskanky · 17/07/2021 21:44

He'd be much better off applying to the BBC production apprenticeship scheme. I don't think media production at Ravensbourne is worth the paper it's printed on

Original poster
Gameofbones · 17/07/2021 21:48

@sskanky wow talk about piss on my chips. I was feeling pretty proud of him!

The BBC production apprenticeship is closed.

OP posts:
thesandwich · 17/07/2021 21:49

Check the uni website about applying to defer.
In the meantime, look at the destinations students go to post degree and their earnings.
Somewhere like
www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/subject-guide/communication-and-media-studies
He needs to get experience, voluntary or paid.and build a network. And he won’t need to repay until his salary reaches a certain level.

Travielkapelka · 17/07/2021 21:53

It’s a tough one but he wants to study a not particularly well regarded degree at a not brilliant university. He may well be much better off with an apprenticeship. I don’t have a problem with my kids going into debt at all if their degree is likely to be useful to them but I would need convincing that this one is. If he’s desperate for the uni experience may be worth looking at clearing for something. I know a lot of people who work in TV and media and almost all of them have bog standard academic degrees from more traditional universities. I have one going to uni this year and am much more comfortable with him going down a traditional academic route rather than vocational

Someaddedsugar · 17/07/2021 21:53

I have a degree and also work in a competitive creative field (oversubscribed courses for my specialism in the year I studied, many applications for vacancies etc).

As @LIZS has said, experience can count for more than a degree with a creative career.

What I’ve tended to notice across a lot of creative roles is that it’s now generally essential to have experience and beneficial to have a degree. The industry does seem to be edging away from degrees being essential, and I think this is because of the sheer amount of new ways to learn and study such as YouTube tutorials and LinkedIn learning etc.

Having said all that, in-house teams (rather than agencies) do still tend to focus on having a degree, and a degree does give you the academic knowledge and theory that hands on experience doesn’t always give you. I would recommend he finds out how the placements and internships etc will be managed if he is to work remotely (eg can they postpone them if there is a lockdown or similar situation) as the hands on experience will be so valuable and he doesn’t want to miss that opportunity if something does happen.

Re the debt from the student loan, remember he won’t have to pay it back until he is earning above the threshold, and it isn’t like a bank loan or similar in that if for whatever reason he doesn’t earn above the threshold for a period of time then it won’t be an issue.

If the amount of student loan required is a concern, would there be an alternative to a degree that he might consider, for instance with marketing there’s the possibility to study for a degree or to complete the CIM course which is often referenced in job descriptions. Has he looked at vacancies in production to see what the required criteria and learning is?

Tempusfudgeit · 17/07/2021 21:53

Your son deserves his academic achievement (and future debts) to be properly rewarded. Ravensbourne University ranks overall as 129 out of 130 in the University League Table 2022. I would strongly recommend more research by you both so he can make the best possible choice for his future.