Top-Up Fees Bill Passed.

Um, why? Any graduate with a decent degree - especially history - will contribute towards the economy much more than a non graduate and will also be taxed more. So they still benefit society, don't they?

Only if you spend your entire grant etc on paying your fees up front.

If you were given £3k pa in non repayable money and £4k pa in loans would you really choose to bung the "free money" onto reducing the length of repayment on those loans (which is what in effect paying your fees upfront with grant money will do) or are you going to choose to have a reasonable income while you're studying in exchange for a slightly longer loan period when you've graduated.

If (as is intended) you use the grant etc to live off you will pay £3k pa in fees + £4k pa in loans and end up with an identical debt to someone who wasn't entitled to any help.

The idea behind the grants etc is that it levels the playing field a little and allows students likely to get no support from their parents to have the same choices over whether to pay up front or after as students likely to get a lot of support....of course there are people who will lose out because they are marginally above one boundary or another.

While Ive got you, Ive got a question to ask about UCAS subjects...

ive got an offer that says AABc excluding general studies. I havnt already achieved the grade C in one as level.

Could I take critical thinking AS to satisfy this requirement, even though I havent stated that I might take it on my UCAS form. Will they have based the decision on that offer from the subjects that i declared I was taking (retaking an as level from last year). I think it might be easier to get a grade C in critical thinking than a grade C in retaking my as level.

I can't imagine they'd mind you taking a different AS subject as they haven't stipulated subjects - however if you haven't mentioned a qualification on your UCAS form it's worth contacting the uni concerned directly just to let them know (and if they're ok with it contacting UCAS to get it onto the electronic system so that all your uni's will know and will get the result at the same time as your other exam results)

I'm a medic and after todays fiasco as soon as i qualify i'm goin to another country! i don't intend to offer the government an ounce of my service.