Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/330/5584
From The Socialist newspaper, 17 January 2004
"Don't let money mean more than minds."
"I WENT to university in 1998 and spent four years in Newcastle. The year I started was the first year they introduced tuition fees.
Dale Brook
Although I received some help with my fees I still needed the full student loan entitlement and help from my parents in order to survive.
In my final two years my course included a postgraduate qualification and I became eligible for a post-graduate loan from my bank of up to £15,000.
Some of my peers took the full amount while I managed with £9,000. Therefore I left university just over a year ago with debts amounting to approximately £25,000.
However, the result of debt once you leave higher education can be severe. Without the promise of good jobs, any thoughts of quickly repaying your burden become unrealistic and, for example, the last repayment of my bank loan is in 2011!
I would always advise people to take the plunge and try university despite the hardships. However, any attempt to make the position more difficult for students should be vehemently resisted. Given that the new proposals are so controversial they are certainly not a forgone conclusion. The gauntlet has been thrown down, so speak out now before our money means more than our minds."
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In The Socialist 17 January 2004:
Top-Up Fees - Your Questions Answered
Top-Up Fees - The Beginning Of The End For Blair?
"Don't let money mean more than minds."
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