Hurrah! Student Loans Are Working!
NOW this is excellent news, the entire point of our having student loans to pay fees, rather than grants or the government paying, seems to have sunk through into the head of at least one student. The point is, of course, to get people concentrating on what the buggery they are doing at university:
My degree has been vital to my job, but it saddens me to say that, were I 18 again, I wouldn’t choose the subject about which I felt passionate – I’d make my choice based on job opportunities and pay.
This shouldn’t sadden anyone: it’s the whole damn point of the exercise.
There was indeed a time when only 10% of the age cohort went to university. That was a time when we could pay for everything out of taxes: and it was also a time that having a university degree, in and of itself, meant something. It meant you were bright enough to get selected and then bother to actually work while you were there. It actually signified something, whatever the subject.
Now we’ve got 50% of the age cohort going to uni and things need to change a bit. It’s not going to work taxing us all to give 50% of the kiddies a three year beerfest. Which is what would happen if there were no fees and grants reappeared. And if 50% of the kiddies are indeed going to go then we want them to concentrate, at least a little bit, on what the hell they’re going to try and learn while they’re there. The way to do that is to make them pay for the course themselves.
And look, it’s working! People are now thinking about what subject they’re going to do so as to get into what job. This is exactly what we wanted to happen and damnit, it’s working!
Posted: 29th, December 2013 | In: Money Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
