Insave to give up Manchester for OU?

Last autumn when I was having a hard time in life and hating my current job, I decided to finally apply to university as a mature student (I'm 24 in March). I have already received an unconditional offer from the University of Manchester and conditional offers from Goldsmiths and University of Aberdeen and I was thinking about accepting the offer from Manchester..

But then I got a job I really like, I've worked there for three months now. I made friends there. I started to enjoy my life. At the same time I started to feel like maybe I don't want to go to university at all. At least I don't want to move - I live in Malta at the moment and I enjoy the sunny weather. :smile:

Me and my boyfriend have a nice life here.

But I still feel like I want to get an university degree, so now I've been thinking about enrolling to Open university. Do you think it is worth it giving up the offers I have so far received? My dad at least seems to think that I would be wasting a big opportunity if I chose not to start university in the UK ..

If I chose University of Manchester, it would mean I would have to take a student loan, but I could afford Open university without loans which sounds excellent (except if the modules fees will rise.. which really worries me, I can't afford it anymore if the fee will for example be double or triple the price it is now) .

I really like the idea of not having to move and being able to keep my full time job and still being able to study, but do you really think Open university is worth giving up an unconditional offer for? I feel a little lost with this, so any advice would be nice. :smile:

Ps. My offers are for Social Anthropology or Anthropology/Sociology and in OU I've been planning to study International Studies.

Reply 1

lupinpooter

It sounds like the OU might be better for you in terms of allowing you to stay in Malta, but aren't the fees for international students very high? The other thing to bear in mind, although I'm not sure if it will affect international students, is that the OU will be introducing student loans in autumn 2012. Hopefully someone who knows more about the situation for international students will be along soon (sorry not be more helpful), or it might be worth contacting the OU to find out more.

Open University

Milton Keynes

Reply 2

maaliskuu

Thank you for commenting!

Yes, the fees are pretty high.. £850 for a 30-credit module. And about double the price for 60-credit module? But if the fees stay like that, I will be able to afford it. It is only if OU will double or triple their prices along with the tuition fee rise, thats when I couldn't afford it anymore, at least not without loans - and I am not sure if I would be able to get a loan.

I contacted OU about this and about other things as well. I hope they will reply soon. :smile:

I am very excited about starting OU and I would love to start DD131 already in May, but I still have some things to clear out before that!

Reply 3

lupinpooter

Original post by maaliskuu

I am very excited about starting OU and I would love to start DD131 already in May, but I still have some things to clear out before that!

That's great, I hope you hear back from the OU soon with some answers :smile:

I might be wrong, but I think that it's going to be the Home fees that are affected by cuts rather than the international fees because international fees aren't subsidised in any case, but in the current climate anything could happen. Not a great time to be planning studies, but I wouldn't let this uncertainty put you off.

Good luck!

Reply 4

maaliskuu

Original post by lupinpooter

You could be right! Never thought of it that way.. I hope it will be like that. When applying through UCAS to UK universities, I was considered Home/EU student and the rise also effects EU students. However, with OU I think I am considered an international student.

Thank you! :smile: