Student loan overhall

[mudskipper]

BBC News - Student loans overhaul planned by ministers

TL;DR version:

Universities take on the debt of their students

Possible effects:

- Fees go up
- Universities only offer profitable subjects
- Universities discriminate against students with lower earning expectations (women and poor people)

[eek]

BBC News - Student loans overhaul planned by ministers

TL;DR version:

Universities take on the debt of their students

Possible effects:

- Fees go up
- Universities only offer profitable subjects
- Universities discriminate against students with lower earning expectations (women and poor people)

The feedback loop for the bit in bold is too long for them to know what subjects are actually profitable. Look for them to push even more people towards law and other cheaper tuition only subjects where expensive workshops are not required.

And its nice to see that no one has actually thought through the real problem at the moment. Unless you are going into Engineering / Medicine most degrees just delay work for 3 years they don't provide anything....

[mudskipper]

The feedback loop for the bit in bold is too long for them to know what subjects are actually profitable. Look for them to push even more people towards law and other cheaper tuition only subjects where expensive workshops are not required.

And its nice to see that no one has actually thought through the real problem at the moment. Unless you are going into Engineering / Medicine most degrees just delay work for 3 years they don't provide anything....

I disagree.

The analytical skills from, for example, a history degree - evaluating sources, weighing up and presenting arguments etc. are very useful in lots of areas of life, both professional and personal. Not to mention the growing up/becoming independent that happens when kids leave the family home to go to uni.

The world would be a poorer place if everyone did maths and science.

[eek]

I disagree.

The analytical skills from, for example, a history degree - evaluating sources, weighing up and presenting arguments etc. are very useful in lots of areas of life, both professional and personal. Not to mention the growing up/becoming independent that happens when kids leave the family home to go to uni.

The world would be a poorer place if everyone did maths and science.

Tell that to the people graduating in forensics to discover that the total uk workforce ~ the number of forensics grads this year

[mudskipper]

Tell that to the people graduating in forensics to discover that the total uk workforce ~ the number of forensics grads this year

So, arguably, the 'arts' type skills are more transferable.

[SueEllen]

Tell that to the people graduating in forensics to discover that the total uk workforce ~ the number of forensics grads this year

There is nothing wrong with a forensic science degree - young people just need to be realistic and understand their degree subject will have nothing to do with their career.

[SueEllen]

BBC News - Student loans overhaul planned by ministers

TL;DR version:

Universities take on the debt of their students

Possible effects:

- Fees go up
- Universities only offer profitable subjects
- Universities discriminate against students with lower earning expectations (women and poor people)

All 3 - they will also try and make themselves unattractive to EU students who have a habit of not paying their loans back.

[Mich the Tester]

Here's a crazy idea; seeing as many of the loans don't get repaid as people don't earn enough to repay them, or disappear abroad, why not set up a system whereby people whose parents are unable to fund their studies will be given a sum of money to pay for their living costs for a fixed number of years while they're in full time education? We'll call it a 'student grant' and it might cut out a lot of the admin costs of the student loan system. We'll also put a limit on the number of full time university places that will be funded, and set up some thingies called 'polytechnics' for people who want more practical higher qualifications, so that people won't be forced to pick the easiest coure just to get a useless degree, but will actually be qualified in some field of work? Perhaps this could all be combined with a concept I call 'part time studying', where people work, and study alongside their job at the pace they can manage?

Am I completely mad?

[MicrosoftBob]

Here's a crazy idea; seeing as many of the loans don't get repaid as people don't earn enough to repay them, or disappear abroad, why not set up a system whereby people whose parents are unable to fund their studies will be given a sum of money to pay for their living costs for a fixed number of years while they're in full time education? We'll call it a 'student grant' and it might cut out a lot of the admin costs of the student loan system. We'll also put a limit on the number of full time university places that will be funded, and set up some thingies called 'polytechnics' for people who want more practical higher qualifications, so that people won't be forced to pick the easiest coure just to get a useless degree, but will actually be qualified in some field of work? Perhaps this could all be combined with a concept I call 'part time studying', where people work, and study alongside their job at the pace they can manage?

Am I completely mad?

No you're not completely mad

The real problem is that companies see insourcing as a substitute for investing in people and apprenticeships (Ironically often those very same organisations with Investors In People status), most people would be better suited to either an apprenticeship or studying for a degree part time whilst learning on the job

[TykeMerc]

Here's a crazy idea; seeing as many of the loans don't get repaid as people don't earn enough to repay them, or disappear abroad, why not set up a system whereby people whose parents are unable to fund their studies will be given a sum of money to pay for their living costs for a fixed number of years while they're in full time education? We'll call it a 'student grant' and it might cut out a lot of the admin costs of the student loan system. We'll also put a limit on the number of full time university places that will be funded, and set up some thingies called 'polytechnics' for people who want more practical higher qualifications, so that people won't be forced to pick the easiest coure just to get a useless degree, but will actually be qualified in some field of work? Perhaps this could all be combined with a concept I call 'part time studying', where people work, and study alongside their job at the pace they can manage?

Am I completely mad?

Not really mad, radical maybe.

Novel, out of the box thinking like this is dangerous!