How are 4 year language degrees funded?

[sergeantmajor]

DS is deciding between applying for History or joint History & Spanish. He would get a loan for his tuition fees but we would fund his living costs. For financial reasons only, we'd prefer him to do a 3 year degree, whereas most language courses are 4 year, including a year of study abroad.

However, I was talking to someone who mentioned that the year abroad is very inexpensive, with minimal tuition fees abroad and living costs largely covered.

Can anyone fill me in on how it works? (DS's school is no use)

@lockdownmadnessdotcom
Sadly schools decided MFLs were second rate subjects years ago! Private schools didn’t. Far too many people see them as difficult and they don’t lead anywhere because they see them as vocational. As you can see, I believe strongly they are not. They are a stepping stone to a while variety of careers. High quality employers are not wanting half baked degree holders. They filter them out. So ending up with 3 years vs 4 years will be exactly the same as Engineering. One has a higher requirement at A level and is seen as superior. I don’t want MFL to go down the 2 tier route.

Organising your year abroad and studying widely is vital for the degrees to mean anything. It starts with schools improving teaching and valuing languages. That flies in the face of Brexit and the government simply doesn’t care.

The universities might well find the money for visas to help some DC who don’t have the money. Let’s hope so!

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

What makes British students so special? European countries haven't made up new rules to make life difficult for anyone, but British people will now largely be in the same pot as people from any other non-EU country applying for a visa

Yes I know, but wouldn't it have been sensible to continue to welcome British students? Especially given the two tier system we now have, whereas if you voted for Brexit but happen to qualify for an EEA passport everything can continue as before, but if you voted Remain and only have a British passport, you're stuffed. It would have been nice to see a sympathetic attitude, that's all. I VOTED REMAIN, I am not some Brexiteering idiot who is now wondering why everything has changed.

And just because our government is made up of morons, doesn't mean that European countries have to respond in kind.

Oh and I wonder why MFL uptake is decreasing . If you know you can't work in the EEA unless you have a very special skill, and the visa requirements even just to study there for a few months are ludicrous, you won't bother. I even wonder if I would have bothered doing German at university if expensive visa barriers would have been put in my way. So it just gets worse.

But again, why should/would they decide to give British people special treatment over any other country? I could understand your point if they'd made it harder for British students than the rest of the world.

And I repeat - the UK government has made it much harder for international students to enter the UK than it used to be. Why on earth should we expect other countries to show us any special leniency?

Fees are much lower in year abroad.

It necessarily. Depends where you go!