Tuition Fees: Poorest students will get up to two years FREE tuition!

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Originally Posted by Hecktix

Which is ridiculous, as that's below the average wage therefore doesn't even touch the average british family lol, don't get me wrong the least disadvantaged should get more help but should everyone else, tuitions fees should be affordable for all - rich, middle class poor whatever and there should be a staggered assistance programme like there is at the moment which starts at a household income of £39,000.
This policy will affect barely any students and just furthers our argument of discrimination.

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I agree there should be a staggered system. It's a shame people don't come up with these at the start because then people might actually listen.

But actually the median income is between 15-20k a year (31% of households) and 75% of all households earn less than 30k so..yeah

My family earns less than 15k, so I'm not sure if I'll be eligible for this, as I hear it's only for people under 10k or something.

Then again I disagree with raising the fees so high anyway.

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Originally Posted by Fez

My family earns less than 15k, so I'm not sure if I'll be eligible for this, as I hear it's only for people under 10k or something.

Then again I disagree with raising the fees so high anyway.

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Yes you will be entitled to it.

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Originally Posted by R0BB13G

I agree there should be a staggered system. It's a shame people don't come up with these at the start because then people might actually listen.

But actually the median income is between 15-20k a year (31% of households) and 75% of all households earn less than 30k so..yeah

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and that 75% get a lot of help at the moment, which is the way it should be - university is already expensive but imo it's fairly expensive, the increases make it unfair.

My household income is well under 10k anyway.

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Originally Posted by Hecktix

and that 75% get a lot of help at the moment, which is the way it should be - university is already expensive but imo it's fairly expensive, the increases make it unfair.

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How is it fair now? The changes mean that:

You don't have to pay upfront and you're earning a decent amount before worrying about it.
Unis will have better funding.
The porter students will get good funding.

I don't see how anyone can complain?

A lot of these arguments seem to be just people repeating themselves at each other, so I'm going to ignore all previous comments and just give two reasons why this is a laughable announcement:

1) 18,000 is a very small number compared to how many apply to uni and more importantly
2) Since when did being poor mean you get preferential treatment? This basically means that the top universities (which will be the ones with higher top rates obv) will now have to accept a certain percentage of people from poorer backgrounds regardless of how good they actually are academically. As if the entry process for Oxbridge and other top institutions isn't difficult enough to get through, a huge number of applicants will now be totally disenfranchised simply because they happen to be better off than someone else. It's the same ridiculous logic as forcing companies to employ a certain number of non-whites, cripples and women even if they aren't the best people for the job, which I have never heard anyone approve of

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Originally Posted by R0BB13G

How is it fair now? The changes mean that:

You don't have to pay upfront and you're earning a decent amount before worrying about it.
Unis will have better funding.
The porter students will get good funding.

I don't see how anyone can complain?

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Because 18,000 students is nothing... lol.

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Originally Posted by FlyingJesus

2) Since when did being poor mean you get preferential treatment? This basically means that the top universities (which will be the ones with higher top rates obv) will now have to accept a certain percentage of people from poorer backgrounds regardless of how good they actually are academically. As if the entry process for Oxbridge and other top institutions isn't difficult enough to get through, a huge number of applicants will now be totally disenfranchised simply because they happen to be better off than someone else. It's the same ridiculous logic as forcing companies to employ a certain number of non-whites, cripples and women even if they aren't the best people for the job, which I have never heard anyone approve of

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Unfortunately I belong in that group, and I completely agree with what you're saying here. I wouldn't call myself an 'exceptional' student, to which Universities like Oxbridge were founded to cater for, but I'm certainly more literate than average people. If I was from another background then I'd be a candidate for Oxbridge, but it wouldn't be a shoe-in for sure. Because I come from the worst of backgrounds, Oxbridge are forced to perform bias towards my application, even if I'm (lets say) labelled as "highly achieving" instead of "exceptional" which they normally ask for. In fact, in cases like this, the student suffers more really because we're being given a pat on the head and a chance to be something from a poorer background. Personally in the next few years I'd like to prove myself rather than already being held above other people from higher backgrounds.

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Originally Posted by Hecktix

Because 18,000 students is nothing... lol.

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You didn't answer my question...

The system is broken. Although I fully admit this is not the best solution its better than it is and until you can tell me how the current system is fair I will stand by the government on these reforms.