So tuition fees are increasing. Will this change your DC’s thoughts on university

[user7654263]

It’s much needed for the sector but with tuition fees increasing and accommodation being eye wateringly expensive will this change your DCs view on university? It’s so expensive and the interest in student loans starts from day one so racks up really quickly.

I feel grateful to have gone in the days of grants but have one at university and one in year 13 and it’s really something you need to evaluate carefully to see whether it’s worth it.

I still suspect it won’t be enough to save the universities that are on the brink of collapse unfortunately.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a friend who went to one of the Seven Sisters and it was a huge success for her. I have two kids in 12th grade right now applying this year, but only to UK universities.

(I only mentioned the Ivy League not having merit money in case someone in the UK felt hopeful their kid could apply and achieve that there, honestly not because its some kind of "be all and end all". )

The South is a whole other story!

Some states are more expensive than others. We used to live in Pennsylvania and their state universities are over $20K, but UNC-Chapel Hill is only about $9,000. (in-state fees). So it does vary quite a bit. However it could easily be less than paying overseas fees in the UK especially at the top universities which can charge up to £30K, even when you account for the shorter degree.

I do hate when people start going on about the "good old days" when nurses didn't have degrees. There's research on this; the degree level nurses perform better. In addition to that nursing is a much more complex role than it was 40 years ago.

Yes, nurses do lots of the work that doctors used to do decades ago.

Rather than this rather populist pushback against degrees in general, it would be nice to see more frugal and in-between options. Degree apprenticeships are one option. We need more options like this, for more types of degrees. Do all degrees have to last three years? I am wondering if it might be possible offer the option of degrees packed into shorter periods of time, allowing people to get on with working lives more quickly.

Are you talking about a US university example being cheaper?

im helping my oldest with his applications now. He’ll be in state Texas. Most expensive state school we’re looking at is $35k which is total cost of attendance - fees, room and board, transport, personal spends and books. One of the cheaper ones was just over $20k all in. A small private we looked at was about $52k all in so we took that off the list although he may get some merit (discount). He’s an average student so we are mostly looking at full cost with maybe a $1k discount a year.

Rather than this rather populist pushback against degrees in general, it would be nice to see more frugal and in-between options. Degree apprenticeships are one option. We need more options like this, for more types of degrees. Do all degrees have to last three years? I am wondering if it might be possible offer the option of degrees packed into shorter periods of time, allowing people to get on with working lives more quickly.

Degree apprenticeships are most appropriate for those who know what job they want to do at 18 so probably best for the professions. Law, engineering, anything medical (medicine, nursing, dentistry, paramedics), teaching, accountancy, architect, vet medicine. But of course those are the degrees a lot of people think are the most 'worthwhile'. But a degree does lots of things, and different people value different things. It's about training people for a job, giving some growing up time as children become independent adults who can look after themselves, widening horizons, and teaching critical thinking skills (because school education is so much about passing exams rather than learning how to think). And all universities do that even the so called shitty ones.

Degree apprenticeships are most appropriate for those who know what job they want to do at 18 so probably best for the professions. Law, engineering, anything medical (medicine, nursing, dentistry, paramedics), teaching, accountancy, architect, vet medicine. But of course those are the degrees a lot of people think are the most 'worthwhile'. But a degree does lots of things, and different people value different things. It's about training people for a job, giving some growing up time as children become independent adults who can look after themselves, widening horizons, and teaching critical thinking skills (because school education is so much about passing exams rather than learning how to think). And all universities do that even the so called shitty ones.

100% this! 🙌

Yes, degree apprenticeships are great BUT only for those with a clear career path in mind AND they're super competitive. They are not the fix people think they are.

Also, who do people think delivers the 'degree' aspect of the apprenticeship? Universities! So we still need a properly funded higher education system which functions effectively.

Do all degrees have to last three years? I am wondering if it might be possible offer the option of degrees packed into shorter periods of time, allowing people to get on with working lives more quickly.

Accelerated degrees are not popular with young people. And arguably cost more to run as we have to teach all year round meaning we need to employ more staff to ensure content is covered in two years.

It's hard to work alongside a 2 year degree as the timetable is so packed so it's off putting for those who need to work to survive.

We run an accelerated degree and it exclusively attracts mature students.

But a degree does lots of things, and different people value different things. It's about training people for a job, giving some growing up time as children become independent adults who can look after themselves, widening horizons, and teaching critical thinking skills (because school education is so much about passing exams rather than learning how to think). And all universities do that even the so called shitty ones.

But at what cost??

Is that really the BEST way to spend all our hard earned taxes?

But at what cost??

Is that really the BEST way to spend all our hard earned taxes?

I guess it depends whether you view education as an individual or societal benefit.

Yes, I'd much rather spend our "hard earned taxes" on educated people in whatever fascinates them rather than on war or spaffing it up the wall of HS2.