Has the increase in tuition fees altered how you choose your university?
Due to the increase in tuition fees, have any of you found yourself choosing your university more carefully by going for the ones with the best reputation/standing in the rankings table to get better value for money?
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Yes.
I had a place at Newcastle (which I absolutely loved) to do Ancient History. I was deferring anyway but the more I thought about it around results the more I felt that the course wasn't for me. The main thing, however, was that I had to seriously think that If I am paying £9000 a year (with limited support from my dad) that I REALLY have to love the course I am doing as well as love the uni. As much as I loved the city, I couldn't justify it so I have ended up reapplying.
Wasn't so much about reapplying to a more prestigious uni etc, it was about getting the best value for money I suppose, and going somewhere I'd A) Enjoy, B) Be in an environment that reflected the amount of work I had put into my A2's and C) have a good graduate employment scheme!
I had a place at Newcastle (which I absolutely loved) to do Ancient History. I was deferring anyway but the more I thought about it around results the more I felt that the course wasn't for me. The main thing, however, was that I had to seriously think that If I am paying £9000 a year (with limited support from my dad) that I REALLY have to love the course I am doing as well as love the uni. As much as I loved the city, I couldn't justify it so I have ended up reapplying.
Wasn't so much about reapplying to a more prestigious uni etc, it was about getting the best value for money I suppose, and going somewhere I'd A) Enjoy, B) Be in an environment that reflected the amount of work I had put into my A2's and C) have a good graduate employment scheme!
Original post by hanger_boy1989
Due to the increase in tuition fees, have any of you found yourself choosing your university more carefully by going for the ones with the best reputation/standing in the rankings table to get better value for money?
Yes, by not going uni at all. 27000 fees plus 10000 in loans, 37 000 in debt with little chance of getting a grad job at the end given the economic conditions, sorry but we are the lost generation, where most grads will be working in dead end jobs.
So what exactly is the point, you could work in a dead end job without the debt and the three years of life you will lose in the process.
Not that I'm agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement. Just something to discuss.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.
Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.
Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Nope because I want to do nursing so my fees are paid for by the NHS 
Living cost/accommodation in the University city/town is something I still have to consider though. I was thinking about Edinburgh until I found out the average student room is way more than I can afford.
Living cost/accommodation in the University city/town is something I still have to consider though. I was thinking about Edinburgh until I found out the average student room is way more than I can afford.
Yes. Hence why I'm at Trinity College Dublin where there are no fees (well, none for me, everone else pays €2250 or thereabouts) My UCAS firm was Durham, for which I got the grades, but it didn't really make sense to go there when I could get a degree that's regarded about the same for way less. I still have a maintenance loan, which isn't gonna be fun paying back, but in total under 20 grand of debt...
(well, none for me, everone else pays €2250 or thereabouts) My UCAS firm was Durham, for which I got the grades, but it didn't really make sense to go there when I could get a degree that's regarded about the same for way less. I still have a maintenance loan, which isn't gonna be fun paying back, but in total under 20 grand of debt...
No as I am a Welsh student and we don't have to pay the full £9,000. If I had to pay the full fees though, I would probably still go to uni but I would be extra careful in choosing where and what I want to study. If you're going to invest so much money in your education, make sure you do it right!
It's affected my decision process in that it now makes much more sense for me to stay at home and move in with my boyfriend, whereas before going to a different city wouldn't have made much of a difference finance-wise. It'll be cheaper for me to stay here, hence I'll have a better chance of not being flat broke the whole time I'm at uni and for the foreseeable future after that because I'll have more of an opportunity to save.
In terms of trying to go to the most prestigious uni though, no. I am, and always have, looked at it as trying to find the best uni FOR ME, rather than whichever one came out best in the league tables. To me that's where getting more for your money comes in. Personal opinion on that front though.
In terms of trying to go to the most prestigious uni though, no. I am, and always have, looked at it as trying to find the best uni FOR ME, rather than whichever one came out best in the league tables. To me that's where getting more for your money comes in. Personal opinion on that front though.
Money don't matter when you look back at your life wondering how good uni would of been!
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Original post by CLPsych
It's affected my decision process in that it now makes much more sense for me to stay at home and move in with my boyfriend, whereas before going to a different city wouldn't have made much of a difference finance-wise. It'll be cheaper for me to stay here, hence I'll have a better chance of not being flat broke the whole time I'm at uni and for the foreseeable future after that because I'll have more of an opportunity to save. In terms of trying to go to the most prestigious uni though, no. I am, and always have, looked at it as trying to find the best uni FOR ME, rather than whichever one came out best in the league tables. To me that's where getting more for your money comes in. Personal opinion on that front though.
why? the ammount of maintainance loan you get from student finance hasnt changed.
Original post by Mother_Russia
Not that I'm agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement. Just something to discuss.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Personally I think work experience is more important.
Thank god for Danish universities. No fees at all. High taxes, yes, but uni is free.
I read somewhere (I believe it was in the Guardian) that a lot of people from the UK are going abroad because of the fees. A guy was very happy with his choice, and he thought about staying in Denmark after uni.
Anyone considering going to Denmark (or Sweden, free too)? It's a flat country, quite small, but it's nice here
Oh, and Aalborg's got Jomfru Ane Gade, lovely place!
I read somewhere (I believe it was in the Guardian) that a lot of people from the UK are going abroad because of the fees. A guy was very happy with his choice, and he thought about staying in Denmark after uni.
Anyone considering going to Denmark (or Sweden, free too)? It's a flat country, quite small, but it's nice here
Oh, and Aalborg's got Jomfru Ane Gade, lovely place!
Original post by Mother_Russia
Not that I'm agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement. Just something to discuss.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.
Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Do you feel that a more prestigious university (and therefore higher tuition fees) will get you a higher paid job, and thus make it easier to repay the tuition loan.
Also, please do not forget that parents support is no issue here. As the loan you will receive will now be more, and it is YOU that will be paying it back once you graduate, not your parents. I have taken out a tuition loan (i am still paying £3000 though), and my parents support (none, but doesn't matter with tuition loans) doesn't matter.
Parental support doesnt matter? What world do you live in? One where most students aren't into their overdrafts, and there is no unemployment crisis* obviously
* Obviously this is for graduates, but not only will this impact severely on perceptions of the value of a degree, but will also increase competition for part time work that students will be seeking. Would you rather hire someone that will cover shifts on a whim, or one you have to be flexible towards as they already have another timetable.
Original post by jelly1000
why? the ammount of maintainance loan you get from student finance hasnt changed.
Because I'll have to spend less of that loan on things like accommodation if I stay here.
Original post by CLPsych
Because I'll have to spend less of that loan on things like accommodation if I stay here.
thats fair enough, but it would be the same under the old fee regime therefore its irrelevant to this thread
It's made me, think about choosing the right course and uni. It hasn't put me off. Besides uni the only way for me to get into the job role I want to do which is teaching. The like hood is I won't pay it all back in thirty years. Also you won't be chased for the debt if you never earn over the threshold. Life for living but doing what you enjoy, you only live once, if your dream job involves going to uni do it. I want to become a pe teacher, having done work experience in this area and volunteering. I really enjoy it and want to make a career of it, to do that I have to go to uni. Do what you enjoy as a job, don't get stuck in a job you hate. You only live once, make most of it.
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Original post by paperclip
Parental support doesnt matter? What world do you live in? One where most students aren't into their overdrafts, and there is no unemployment crisis* obviously
* Obviously this is for graduates, but not only will this impact severely on perceptions of the value of a degree, but will also increase competition for part time work that students will be seeking. Would you rather hire someone that will cover shifts on a whim, or one you have to be flexible towards as they already have another timetable.
* Obviously this is for graduates, but not only will this impact severely on perceptions of the value of a degree, but will also increase competition for part time work that students will be seeking. Would you rather hire someone that will cover shifts on a whim, or one you have to be flexible towards as they already have another timetable.
You misunderstand my point. Here we are talking about tuition fees. Ultimately I will be paying back my tuition fees, my loan is paying my tuition fees. Me being in my overdraft etc. has nothing to do with how much my tuition fees are, but to do with my maintenance loan.
I am sure I will be in the same financial troubles at uni, whether the fees are £3000 or £9000.
Original post by jelly1000
thats fair enough, but it would be the same under the old fee regime therefore its irrelevant to this thread
Technically yes it would have been the same, but the fees going up means I'm thinking about long-term finances more, hence the effect on my decision.
Anyway, I was just giving my opinion.
Original post by Mother_Russia
You misunderstand my point. Here we are talking about tuition fees. Ultimately I will be paying back my tuition fees, my loan is paying my tuition fees. Me being in my overdraft etc. has nothing to do with how much my tuition fees are, but to do with my maintenance loan.
I am sure I will be in the same financial troubles at uni, whether the fees are £3000 or £9000.
I am sure I will be in the same financial troubles at uni, whether the fees are £3000 or £9000.
But it still does matter, because if you have a trust fund of, say £27k (3 year degree) then you can just persuade yourself that university is free, especially if your parents would refuse to give you the money otherwise. Any subsidy will undoubtedly impact on perceptions.
More importantly, £27k to live in poverty and not be guaranteed a job at the end of it sounds a lot more than 9k (which is still a lot of cash, but if you enjoy studying, then you might think it is worth it). Of course, with a parental subsidy, it could become 27k or 9k to live comfortably and get pissed/laid for 3 years.
In addition, most people are (quite rationally) debt averse. Although a student loan is the best kind of debt (was, rather, now that they charge a rate of interest not tied to inflation this may no longer be true).
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