Thread 29 - Covid Cohort - Whirlwinds and Waiting

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous thread 28

Thanks @OrangeCinnamonCroissant!!! Love the title x

Thanks @OrangeCinnamonCroissant!

Thanks so much @OrangeCinnamonCroissant!

Thank you @OrangeCinnamonCroissant

Love title Orange, thank you.

Morning, thank you @OrangeCinnamonCroissant.

Feeling a bit concerned about the new arrangements for student finance which have been announced this morning. Salary threshold for repayment down to £25k and payments to go on for 40 years. As DS isn't looking at a career path with very high earning potential this is worrying.

Woah, 40 years! I’d missed that. A lot of them are going to be saddled with an extra 9% tax for their whole working lives aren’t they?

Thanks for the new thread, Orange
Updated list below, apologies for inaccuracies:

@22Newnames / DS / Engineering / Lincoln (U/C), Nottingham (AAB), Bath, Durham, Warwick
@Alsoplayspiccolo / DD / English Lit + Film, Liberal Arts / Reading (BCC), Birmingham (AAB), RHUL (ABB), Southampton (ABB), KCL
@AnneofCleavage / DD / gap year + Primary Education / UWE (BBC), Winchester (120 pts), Sussex (BBB), Oxford Brookes (104 pts) Chichester
@Appuskidu / DD / Psychology / Nottingham, Birmingham
@BlueMarigold / DD / Biology / FIRM: Birmingham (AAA-AAB), INSURANCE: Lincoln (U/C)
@CaliforniaDrumming / DS / UCL, Warwick, Nottingham
@cariadambyth / DD / History / Southampton (AAB), Warwick (AAA), RHUL (BBB), Bath Spa (U/C)
@ChristopherTracy / DS / Mech Eng / Nottingham (ABB), Kingston (ABB), Sussex (ABB-BBB), QMUL (ABB), Warwick
@collywobble / DS / PPE, Economics / Lancaster (ABB), Loughborough (AAB), Leeds (AAA-AAB)
@crazycrofter / DD / Psychology / Nottingham (ABB), York (ABB), Southampton (ABB), Manchester (AAA), Bath
@Decorhate / DS / Economics + Politics / Leeds, Sheffield, Southampton, Bristol
@Delphigirl / DS / Oceanography / gap year + ACCEPTED: Dalhousie (CC), Southampton (ABB), Cardiff (BBB-BBC), Plymouth (112 pts)
@DoggerelBank / DS / Biotechnology / Bristol (ABB), Leeds, Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow
@ealingwestmum / DD / Middle Eastern & European Studies / Bristol (ABBM2), Manchester (ABBM2), Leeds (ABM2), Durham, McGill, TCD
@esterfrewen / DS / History / FIRM: Cambridge, INSURANCE: Lancaster (BBC)
@EwwSprouts / DS / Biology / Sheffield (AAB), York (AAB), Nottingham (AAB), Durham (AAA), St Andrews
@ExtremelyDelighted / History, Environmental Management / RAU (56 pts), Winchester (104 pts), Chichester (104 pts), Bournemouth (96 pts), RHUL (DMC)
@Fferny1 / DS / Sports Science / Oxford Brookes, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Surrey x 2
@Fiddlersgreen / DS / Journalism / Bournemouth (104pts), Brighton (BCC), Cardiff (ABB), Sheffield (ABB)
@Fonty / DS / History / Birmingham (AAB), Exeter (AAA) Edinburgh, Durham, St Andrews
@Fruitygal / DD / Biology / Lancaster, Sheffield (AAB-ABB), Exeter (AAB-ABB), York (AAB-ABB), Durham (AAA)
@GoldenRuby / DD / Social Anthropology + Geography / Sussex (ABB-BBB), St Andrews, Edinburgh, Durham, Exeter
@Hattifatteners / DD / Vet Med / Nottingham (AAB), Bristol
@Heifer / DD / Biology / Nottingham (AAB), Sheffield (AAB-ABB), Sheffield Hallam (96pts), York (BBB), Loughborough (AAB)
@HibiscusIsland / DD / Biology / Nottingham, Southampton, Surrey, Bristol, Warwick
@Horace123 / DS / Classics / Oxford (39/666), Edinburgh (34/665), Exeter (36), UCL (36), Durham
@icanbewhatiwant / DS / History + Philosophy / FIRM: Sussex (DBC), INSURANCE: Gloucestershire (112 pts)
@Isthisjustnormal / DS / Comp Sci / York (AAA), Exeter (AAA), Warwick, Bath
@JustHereWithMyPopcorn / DS / Law / Nottingham (AAA), Birmingham (AAA), Warwick
@KingscoteStaff / DD / Medicine / Bristol, Nottingham (biochem/med sci), Birmingham, Newcastle, Barts
@kiwiandcherries / DD / Primary Education / Winchester, Gloucestershire, Oxford Brookes, Chester, Kingston
@Knickerthief1 / DD / Child Nursing / York
@Monkey2001 / DS / Medicine / Manchester, Newcastle
@mummabear74 / DD / Environmental Science / York (AAB), Southampton (ABB), Cardiff (BBB-BBC), Nottingham (ABB)
@mummyinbeds / DS / Law + French Law / Birmingham (AAA), Kent (AAB), Warwick (AAB), Nottingham (AAA)
@Nard75 / DS / Maths / Aston (BBC), Birmingham (AAA), Nottingham, Manchester, Warwick
@NCTDN / DD / Liberal Arts / Bristol (ABB), Warwick (AAA), Loughborough (ABB), Manchester (AstarAA), Durham
@Oblomov21 / DS / Accountancy / BDO, Southampton (ABB), Durham (ABB-AAC), QMUL, Reading, Nottingham, EY, PwC
@OrangeCinnamonCroissant / DD / Music / Sussex (ABB-BBB), Surrey (BCC), RHUL (BBB-BBC), Southampton, Cardiff
@PaddingtonPaddington / DD / Music / FIRM: RWCMD (EE)
@Piggywaspushed / DS / Social Sciences / FIRM: Birmingham (AAB-ABB), INSURANCE: York (AAB-ABB)
@ProggyMat / DD / Classics / FIRM: Oxford (AAA), INSURANCE: UCL (AAB)
@SandyBayley / DD / Medicine / Oxford (39/766), Newcastle, Leeds, Bristol
@sazzy5 / DS / Medicine / Exeter
@scabby1 / DS / Economics + Politics / York, Nottingham (AAA), Leeds (AAA), Bristol
@Seeline / DD / Liberal Arts / Exeter (AAA), Kent (BBB), UEA (AAB), Nottingham (AAA), Birmingham
@Shadedog / DS / History / UCL, LSE, Edinburgh, Newcastle
@Shimy / DS / Management, Business + Management / Birmingham (AAB-ABB), Loughborough, Warwick
@singingstones / DS / Neuroscience / Exeter (ABB), Aston (BBB), Sussex (ABB-BBB), QMUL (ABB), Nottingham (AAB)
@sofakingcool / DS / Business, Economics / Bournemouth, Reading, Portsmouth, Cardiff
@Volterra / DS / Maths / Exeter (AstarAA), Bath (AstarAA), Southampton, Cardiff
@whatsnext2 / DD / English joint hons / Reading (BBB), York
@Wheresthebeach / DD / gap year + Marine Biology / Swansea, Portsmouth (U/C), Southampton, Plymouth, Liverpool
@whoamitojudge / DD / Cabin crew training completed and flying high!
@Zebracat / DD / Liberal Arts, History+ / Warwick (ABB), Birmingham (ABB-BBB), RHUL with foundation (CCC), Cambridge Arts Foundation, Exeter
@ZittiEBuoni / DD / applying 2023 tbc

The interest is cut from RPI+3% to just RPI @crazycrofter so its not all bad news but all the same, they will be paying it till they retire. Oh wait, they won't be retiring till they are about 75......

Thanks @OrangeCinnamonCroissant and @singingstones.

I haven’t looked in detail at the student loan proposals but have seen the headlines. For us it seemed to not be bad news, but that is because I hope DS will be in a fairly high earning career so I would have expected him to pay it off anyway. It seemed to me that interest capped at RPI instead of RPI + 3% is a significant difference. The lower earnings threshold down to £25k isn’t ideal but does mean it’s paid off quicker so less interest etc. That also means that many grad jobs will start paying straight away so they will never get used to the money.

Thank you OrangeCinnamon

Ah, apparently according to The Times the student loan changes take place next year, the BBC article appeared to be saying it was this year. Martin Lewis strongly advising our cohort not to take a gap year. Just as we had started thinking it would be a good idea for DS

Here is Martins 1st write up. It will be covered in his programme tonight apparently.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/02/student-finance-loans-changes-education/?fbclid=IwAR2tSko1R7k-tmoYPJbtzNgGftTlPl30Fh8wD946C3cK9L4KVJK3PiVTi8U

Also for us, if DS goes this year he will be on the old scheme, but DD (y11) will be on the new one, which is annoying. I can see why its better for the high earners but for low to middle earners it will cost them a lot more.

Thank you @singingstones.

I will catch up on news. I saw a hint from MSE Martin last night.

No sign of the cut in tuition fees proposed by Augar. I think the conclusion is that top 30% earners will pay less with new system due to lower interest rate and lower earners will pay more due to 40 year pay back.

If your DC is heading for a low pay career a gap year is a bad idea, but high earners will win by taking a gap year.

Just seen the different reporting of when it starts. If I’m honest I’m actually disappointed it starts for next years students and not ours. I think the 3% interest reduction is a massive thing.

Morning! Thanks @OrangeCinnamonCroissant. I can't believe how prompt you are @singingstones with updated list, thank you too.

@22Newnames the majority of students will pay more, I think 25-30% will pay less.

Thanks for the new thread @OrangeCinnamonCroissant and the list which I am sure we all refer to regularly @singingstones. Really hope we get an update for it before this thread finishes!

Thanks @OrangeCinnamonCroissant and @singingstones.

DD's gap year is a definite so she's stuffed as all offers were for 2023. I'm going to stick my fingers in my ears and hum.

Yea I do understand that @Monkey2001 but to be honest I am being selfish. I think DS would pay back less under the new system but I don’t think it’s worth the disruption of taking an unplanned gap year for.

@OrangeCinnamonCroissant @singingstones Thanks for new thread and updated list.

@ExtremelyDelighted At this rate DS will turn 75 still waiting for sodding Durham offer. I shouldn't moan as he has 4 offers he is happy with but, depending on the grade requirement if he gets Durham, that may be his insurance. Which means he can't firm or reject any offers yet.

@22Newnames - it's very natural to see it from own DCs POV, its good if we have a range of opinions on the thread.

@Horace123 fingers crossed he hears from Durham soon.

@singingstones thanks for the list update, so useful

Thanks Orange you're a star ⭐️ - you're having to set up a new one every 3 weeks! Thanks for the list Singing - what a cohort we have here!

I'm in two minds with regards to the news of the student loan. I think DD will still take a gap year as she is so looking forward to it and has plans of sorts for it and the capping of RPI is not insignificant so a bit of a sweetener. Is there any bad reasons why DH and I shouldn't pay it off at some point (if we're able to) and she repay us with no interest?

Thanks for the updated list @singingstones.

It's hard to know the right thing to do re taking a gap year etc - I have no idea if DD will end up with a high salary or not. She certainly plans to, but there is no guarantee what she will do after her Biology degree. She wants to be a Clinical Scientist (High earner) but very hard to get onto plus she may chance her mind completely during the course.

Will be interested to see what Martin has to say tonight but I don't think it would be worth changing plans to take a gap year if not already planned for.