Saving for university ?

[HoopyFroodDude]

Are you saving for your children to go to university ? If so do you mind me asking how much?

I have not planned for this but have been inspired by another thread about university debt to start. Do you have any tips ?

Thanks Patsy99 - I'm a post 1998-er so one of the lucky (relatively) ones!

FionaSH I got my information about interest rates from this Guardian article but re-reading it I see that the rate is actually fixed in September.
Patsy99 - yes I do know something about interest rates on student loans as DS1 (graduate economist) moans about the iniquity of having to pay anything back out of his generous salary whilst the rate is fixed at 0%.

riven - I can see what you're saying but if we go back to only the few attending don't we risk going back also to the days when hardly any working class children went?
This is where most of the ncrease in numbers has come from.

litchick- I know what you're saying but the issue is that in order to increase the Uni populatiomn in line with gov targets, there are too many courses where the entrance requirements are not high enough. I think you seriously have to question whether, if you got a D at A-level in a subject, you are really going to benefit from taking a degree in it. People are getting tricked into thinking the degree they are getting into debt for will help them when in fact the employer will just look at A level:D, Degree from University of Nowhere, and chuck the cv in the bin.

So yeah, they get to go to Uni, but what good is it doing them?

If fewer people went to Uni and it was free,as it used to be, that should actually shift the balance in favour of lower income applicants as a proportion of the grad population.

I hope it would work like that abride - certainly going too university changed my fortunes for the better.

I suppose I worry that if the number of places offered are reduced, the rich, rather than the deserving,will secure them.
My new perspective as an advantaged parent, rather than a clever but poor child, is that I will use every bit of my advanage to secure one of those places for own kids.

If you want more working-class students at university, it's not the university level you need to tackle, nor even secondary schools, but expectations, ambitions and abilities of kids who are way younger than that.

I agree Riven. DC1 got worse A levels than expected due to a prolonged period of sickness during A2 year (Missed an entire half term asa result). currently at Uni, studying hard and doing brilliantly. Current marks are averaging over 90% ( in a pure science ). So you are right, A level results are not always indicative of ability or even of having a hard working approach to study.

Riven/Sayitthowitis- there will always be exceptions, but I think that telling someone who got D's whilst trying their best that going to Uni to do a non-recognised subject (there's an example on a parallel thread about "football studies")is the best thing for them is almost fraudulent.

Ps all this talking about degrees made me have one of those awful recurring nightmares where it is Uni finals day and you haven't even been to any lectures.

I started a baby bond when daughter born. Am sure this will never be enough for fees. However, although the choice will be hers not so sure that uni is the be-all-and-end-all any longer.

I am saving now (DC 6 and 2) a combination of CTF, National Savings and other tax friendly investments.

CTF and NS will be available when they go to Uni and other investments mature when they are 21. Not huge amounts £40 per child pm.

However, I am paying school fees for DS1 and soon for DS2 so I am effectively budgeting for an extra 3 years of school fees i.e. I pay for their education until the age of 21.