is college/university to expensive?

[charliemoosic]

hey guys, just wanted to express my feelings towards the price of higher education and encourage anyone to do the same

so i live in the UK which means that we can apply for a student loan covering the whole cost of your tuition fees. you don't pay this back until you are earning over £23,000pa (around $32000) and even then it is spread out over like 30 years or something so you're only paying it back bit by bit.

i haven't yet started university so i can't tell you how much else you have to pay out for except rent and living costs only that while you can apply for accommodation loans and grants, they don't help out completely. where do you get the other money from for what your loans and grants don't pay out for? your parents could pay for it but that could put them in money trouble. you could get a job but that could affect your studies, which is what you're needing the money for in the first place. or you could get a bank loan which you would have to find a way to pay back anyway so that's only a temporary fixture.

this morning i read in the news (bbc news) that uk universities are pressing for an increase in the maximum tution fees, which is currently set at £9000pa (around $12600), saying that the value has decreased as inflation has risen (this means that the value of money is worth less which is why others costs has risen such as bread and milk. everything's more expensive!). when the cap was first put on tuition fees in the UK in 1998 the maximum universities could charge was £1000pa (around $1400), this is such a large increase in 17 years, i feel. i understand that the fees have risen due to inflation, increased student population and probably higher bills, but isn't it too much per student?

i'm taking a gap year from the next two weeks and cannot work. if the maximum fees increase to over £10000 i don't think i can go because it's too much to pay out, afterall 9/10 universities currently charge the maximum fee in the UK.

most jobs paying above minimum wage (which is not a living wage) ask for a degree, but i have a feeling increased costs are going to drive people away. is this survival of the fittest now?

i'm not asking for advice, or suggestions. i just wanted to express my views and hear other people's views outside my friendship group.

thankyou

sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuitio...United_Kingdom

https://www.timeshighereducation.co....005624.article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33328382

[Jesus Christ.]

No it's not too much because student finance works in such a way that you don't receive much of an impact when you have to start paying it back. In the end, university is an investment.

Also, most jobs above minimum wage don't require a degree.

[Always *]

My circumstances are different because my parents both have high paying jobs, so they were able to cover the costs that my brother and I incurred while in university without it impacting their own finances (e.g. they've bought a new property, car, boat, and travel a fair bit as well as knowing they'll be comfy cozy in retirement). I'm not trying to come off as a spoiled brat, that's just how it is for me and I am so fortunate to benefit from such a privileged position.

However, in Canada, where I live, universities are also massively subsidized by the government in ways that many people do not realize. For example, 1 year of university at an undergraduate level usually costs $7000 to $14000 a year in Canada versus probably $20000 or more in the States (sorry if I am blowing that out of proportion for the USA but I know Stanford and schools like that can cost even more then that a year so yeah). In addition, there are tons of opportunities for student loans and stuff in Canada so it makes university and/or college more accessible than it would be in a lot of other countries.

I think that no matter how you spin it, university is an amazing investment. It costs a lot, but you're going to get so much out of it intellectually and be in a much better position for better jobs and have more opportunity for advancement opportunities in the future. While it is true you can be successful without a degree, it is much harder to get skilled, high paying jobs without a degree. My university degree is the best thing I have ever done.

[Celyn]

I'm slightly biased here as I'm from Wales and even though the full tuition cost is around £9,000, the Welsh government subsides Welsh student's fees so we only have to pay around £3,600. However, they don't know if they will be able to afford this in the coming years.

My experience is that it's not too bad. However, I can see that paying £9,000 or more seems dreadful. But then most students are in the same boat, and generally, you only start paying the loans back when you start earning a certain amount (can't remember the exact amount but I think it's between £20,000-£25,000). It's probably an annoying thing to pay back but as long as you are good at budgeting, I imagine it's not too bad. I think that if it's something you wanted to do, then I would go for it. But I do agree that the £9,000 a year is very expensive and off putting, and would hate to see the cap being increased again.