Thread 36 - Covid Cohort from GCSE 2020 - The Final Countdown to Results Day for Some?

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

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. It's all relative!
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 continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will find a thread within the Further Ed board.
Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future? Post Results?

Previous Thread

I mean they get all the money they need to go to university from public funds, although some have to pay back more than others. I don't really understand why children from poorer backgrounds should not have to pay it back if they become high earners, but children from from richer backgrounds do - it seems to me that they should all get it on the same terms, so a mix of loans/grants irrespective of your family income, and if the degree unlocks a lucrative career you pay an element back whatever your parental situation.

Blimey, I live in Wales and thought that it was exactly as you’ve described, Monkey, ie that the loan part of the funding has to be paid back under the same terms as the fees loan.
I need to read DD’s SFW info properly!

Fruity, she firmed Birmingham for English and film, with RHUL for liberal arts.
Currently reconsidering Southampton for English and film is she, and they, end up in clearing. (She had an offer from them but wasn’t keen on the city).

I think Wales has slightly different priorities and feel it's worth the financial hit of giving grants to students who may end up as high earners, in order to encourage children from low-earning households into higher education. Everyone has to pay something back and the threshold is low for the maximum grant, I think it's around £18k total household income, so they are targeting a small number of very specific people.

@crazycrofter the week before DDs driving test I remember saying to DH I thought it would be 50/50 if DD would pass. However we took her out every day as much as possible to try and give her more practice and to her credit she passed. There’s still time to get in practice if you’re able to otherwise I think it’s 3 working days before the test date that you must reschedule it.

This thread is moving so fast and think it directly reflects our anxiety.

I’m so glad they do, singing. Post-COVID, we would be hard-pushed to top up DD’s finance. Also, I think that the fact DD will have to think carefully about whether she actually wants to spend the loan part, knowing that it will need to be paid back is a good thing too; I think I might be slightly cheesed off if I had to watch her spend our hard-earned money on clubbing and booze!

Long email sent to MP. We will wait and see for Thursday. Exeter have been incredibly helpful but we haven’t told them about this, actually worried that they will withdraw their offer to treat her as a Care leaver if Student Finance don’t even give her Independent Student Status.I really don’t think she can go on a minimum loan, it’s £2000 less than hall fees, and only Independent students can access bursaries, so she would need to earn about £5000 a year to live on £60.00 per week. Really grim. She’s not strong, we didn’t encourage her to get part time work because she got exhausted just doing school. We think there are long term consequences of neglect to deal with.
I’m sure we will win in the end, but it is exhausting, Sadly, I think this is such a niche subject that I may know more about it than anyone else in the country. And still can’t get what we need. But thank you for all the support, it really helps.
Someone upthread asked me about Liberal Arts at RH. Sadly I can’t find it now to tag them. We went to virtual Open Days at Royal Holloway for History and for Liberal Arts. We also looked at quite a few others. The Liberal Arts presentation was absolutely dire. They are based in the Modern Language Department, and the chap clearly preferred just teaching French. He seemed to know nothing and care less.
History on the other hand was 2 lecturers and 2 students brimming with enthusiasm for their department. So she chose History with Integrated foundation as her Insurance as we got worried everything was so high tariff. Now I’m so gloomy that the CCC they asked for seems unobtainable.

DD won’t see her loan as her accommodation is more than the amount. We will be topping it up. Are you all paying your DC’s accommodation then?

Hope it gets sorted out @Zebracat

Manifesting a successful results day, what are posters opinions on putting grades on social media ? For some reason I seem to think it's wrong/insensitive etc on Facebook but on Dd Tiktok would be perfectly fine. Why am I thinking this way? Is it because there are more family /adult friends on facebook 🤔 am I scared of us being judged? She posted her results slip for GCSE and I told her to take it down. But if she is proud of her results she should be allowed to celebrate that and in hindsight feel a bit mean !

We can definitely celebrate or commiserate with each other here. I feel a bit sad that some places seem ultra competitive for some of our kids, I've known some of you virtually for quite a while!

Ds posted his GCSE results slip because he was proud of his music Grade and he just about had enough other grades to get him into college. But his GCSE's on the whole were pretty bad and an underachievment.

As so many people (previous school etc) wrote him off but he was also lucky to have a few who believed in him then I m inclined to let him post whatever he wants.

Just seen thatWarwick Liberal Arts is in clearing. That was honestly fantastic. Devastated she didn’t choose it. I would go!

Thanks @Comefromaway lovely when they are proud of their hard work in their fave subjects.

I think I won't interfere and will let Dd post what she wants... this is her 'gig' after all.

I don't know why I worry about judgy others so much. Surely it must be outweighed by the peeps that are genuinely pleased for her.

Haha Cinnamon, that is always a tricky one! The main thing is to post whether they are happy with the results as for some people BBC would be fabulous news and for others it would be a disaster! I won't post grades, people will contact me if they want to know.

@Zebracat you should absolutely share details with Exeter as they can make their own assessment of whether she is a care leaver/independent student - they will not be as tied up in bureaucracy as SFE.

@Zebracat full of admiration for you!

Leaving DS to it re how or what he posts: am clueless about his online stuff these days though know he is not on FB.

Grades and posting ! I think it’s insensitive on FB to put up the grades! It’s like telling your friends you earn £100k when some are teachers or nurses and their profession doesn’t pay that.

Putting you are thrilled with them getting a place at x University to do y course is enough!

I think you're right Also, we are very lucky here to be able to let them sort their finances independently. I want him to have a good time but like you I don't think I'd enjoy watching DS spend my money on booze! Up to him whether he wants the high life or to live frugally, get a job and maybe save for a masters. We would also struggle to find £5k a year especially if/when DD goes and they are both studying at the same time. Better for us to save what we can for any potential post grads where funding is not so easy to come by I reckon.

We just had a chat through various courses that might be options for him in clearing and he dismissed almost all of them, happy days.
Typically the only one he was actually enthusiastic about has already disappeared 😬

Oh no I won't post her grades.

Yes I'm known for saying stuff to Dd like it's 'vulgar to discuss salaries' she thinks I'm a special kind of 'stuck up working class' . Probably get it from my Mum she used to make us sisters change into matching dresses, with clean underwear if we were out playing and needed to get the bus into town for shopping/ dentists etc

Benji, we are paying for DD’s full accommodation. She only qualifies for minimum maintenance loan if she remains in UK, and she’ll top up anything beyond with PT working. We’ll pick up phone. If Ireland, she will not be able to access student loans, but the tuition fees are much lower than here.

I feel like a total failure with financial contribution. Having been self employed (it’s token income) for the last 7 years, my JL Partnership card, upon announcing it was switching issuers, the new issuer point blank declined me, after years of impeccable credit record. But I’m very fortunate to be supported by DH to do what I do, and DD is just starting to mature in her financial understanding and the choices we’ve made to support her.

Zebra, you have an huge capacity to fight for your charges. I really hope sense prevails for your DD, I really do.

I won't be posting anything, DS is very private and wouldn't like it. I saw some extended family recently without him and he said, "don't tell them I'm nervous about results day" 😂

I do t do Facebook but I will share on my family WhatsApp as no others sitting exams. Have to be careful on DH’s family WhatsApp as there are cousins in the same boat so will wait and see.
With DD1 who has always achieved highly, it can be a lonely place. I wanted to shout from the rooftops but obviously you have to be sensitive. She didn’t post grades, just that she’d got in to Durham.
I sat on the sofa and cried when she phoned from school to say she got 10A* and one A at GCSE. I so desperately wanted to phone my DM who had died 2 years earlier.

@ealingwestmum Snap! For a while being self employed worked really well...then the pandemic hit and it's been terrible. We've got to reapply for a JL card to...not looking forward to it.

I won't post, but then I'm avoiding SM as it's full of news of Nationals for the sport DD does and its heart breaking to see the pictures etc, while she's on crutches etc. I'm being quite the wimp about all this. Doubt DD will post, she's not terribly active on SM. There will be a lot of talk on her school Whatsapp group, and they'll all share on that I suspect.

@Zebracat I really hope your MP steps up and helps out. It's a terrible loophole for kids who have been through so much. I know its been said by many before - but she's so lucky to have you.

We didn’t post the actual GCSE grades. It was just Congratulations on passing your exams. And if people asked, I would tell them privately. Will probably do the same this time.

Thanks to all commenting on Royal Holloway - mixed bag, and food for thought.

@Zebracat so sorry for your finance battles. It shows just how wrong the system is. I wish you luck.

@Benjispruce4 for DS we pay accommodation and he lives off his minimum loan, plus his part time job earnings. We will do the same for DD. Min loan has not come close to covering DS accommodation in halls (UWE) or 2 private rentals (Bristol, but not central).

I have never posted DCs actual results on FB etc. This thread is very rare in that the very bright and those that have to work a bit harder are treated equally. I learnt very early that whilst it's fine to talk about kid's achievements on the sports field, academic achievement is seen as bragging (not putting down all the talented sportspeople out there at all!). However, it's entirely up to DD as to what she wishes to make public.

@ealingwestmum how can you feel a family when you’re paying the accommodation?
DD1 had a medium maintenance loan and we paid the difference,food, her phone, anything to do with study , travel home and essentials but she took £3k with her that she had worked incl some from a savings account we had. I wasn’t funding socialising. Will be same for DD2 though she hasn’t earned so much.