Grants To Loans: How You Can Earn An Affordable Degree ?

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Are you concerned about the chancellor George Osborne’s 2015 budget for higher education? Numerous students and experts across the UK have criticised the decision that grants are to be discarded and replaced with loans for poorer students from September 2016 as aspiring learners are now having doubts whether they will be able to accomplish their academic goals.

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 The Osborne budget

Osborne remained firm on his decision and claimed that the move will fetch enhanced “fairness” to the funding system in higher education. He also said that this decision will result in saving £2.5bn even before the commencement of the next general election. However, if you want to know how you can deal with the new budget plans and still pursue higher education, then we have exactly what you are looking for.

Here are a few tips from the editor-in-chief of money.co.uk and renowned personal finance expert, Hannah Maundrell, on how you can pursue a university degree from the UK after September 2016 without running into excessive student debts....

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What does the budget mean for students?

The most important thing we need to realise that the onus is primarily on the universities to help learners from impoverished backgrounds. If you are a student from a low income family and searching for better options, then you must consider financial support as an highly important factor.

Do not let this transition from grant to loan discourage you and avoid higher education. You will only feel the financial burden when you start earning sufficiently and when you will be unable to repay your loan before the 30 year limit is over.

So much doublespeak in Osborne's budget. Slashing student maintenance grants increasing access to education?! #budget2015

— Stephen Gaskell (@stvgskll) July 9, 2015

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What should students do?

It is not mandatory that you will need to pursue a university degree. There are various other options available for you that can offer you world-class learning experience without feeling any financial burden. I believe one of the most feasible and beneficial options is to pursue an online degree.

there is a great demand for online learning courses from both students and employers worldwide. You will not only receive quality education, but you will have excellent networking opportunities and become eligible for high paying jobs in leading companies. Moreover, by studying an affordable UK university degree, you will be able to avoid the the financial burden created by Osborne's budget plans and earn a recognised degree without taking out student loans. You can also do an internship or apprenticeship while pursuing an online course and gain relevant work experience to boost your employability.

Here are few reaction of the young students

Degrees 'will cost £6,000 more' after George Osborne freezes the threshold for student loan repayment in #Budget2015 http://t.co/wQom02oB2A

— Unite the union (@unitetheunion) July 21, 2015

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How will the budget affect the future of education?

It is simply make higher education more expensive. It seems that tuition fees are set to increase further and in future, government can instruct graduates to repay their student loans faster, with more interest and in full amount. The UK government has hinted plans to pressurize new graduates even more by making the repayment threshold freeze for 5 years at £21,000.

In this scenario, online learning programmes simply seem better and more feasible for most students now, especially for poorer students.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and views with us by commenting below.

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Can International Students Work In UK After Study? No, Says Government

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Do you want to earn a recognised degree from the UK and start your career there? Although it is a great plan to start with, but pursuing higher education in the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly challenging for international students. Recently, the UK Business Secretary claimed that the Government is planning to “break the link” between overseas students studying here and staying back once they graduate.

Breaking the Link 

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Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has informed international students that he would like them to earn their degrees in the UK and then leave the country, in an attempt to break the link between learners attending college and staying on for career development after graduation. In an interview to BBC Radio 4, Javid commented that he desires to develop a system where foreign nationals will not be allowed to abuse their right to study in the United Kingdom as a means to stay back.

He said “What we need to make sure – and we do have this – is that our immigration system allows those from abroad that want to come to Britain to study in our world-class universities, our fantastic colleges to come here.”

Javid added “But we’ve also got to have a system that doesn’t allow any abuse when people are using the right to study as a way to achieve settlement in Britain. So we’ve got to break the link and make sure it’s focused on people who want to study and then, once they’ve had their studies and completed that, then they leave.”

Preventing Postgraduate Work Opportunity 

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The UK government has faced bitter criticism for prohibiting the post-study work visa back in 2012. Most UK universities consider this move as an obstacle to foreign students, especially non-European Union students and learners from India. Vince Cable, the then business secretary, said that international students become caught in the very emotional and torrid argument regarding the volume of immigrants in the United Kingdom.

A 2014 study by HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) revealed a “significant” decline in the volume of overseas students studying at UK universities, with a fall of almost 50 per cent in the number of postgraduates from India as well as Pakistan, even though the volume of students from these nations have been rising in other nations.

Can it affect UK Education?

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Seamus Nevin, Head of Employment and Skills Policy at the Institute of Directors, commented “The Business Secretary’s proposals to eject foreign students after graduation are misguided and would damage the British education system, our economy and global influence. The UK is a world leader in higher education. The reputation of our institutions draws the brightest and the best from all over the world, bringing in billions of pounds every year and building lifelong trade ties which benefit our businesses for years to come.” He added “Other countries welcome such students. Britain already makes it difficult and artificially expensive for them to enter and stay, and now these proposals would eject them ignominiously when their studies are finished. ”

Nevin further said “Restricting talented workers from staying on in the UK would damage business and lead to a loss of important skills. Shutting the door to highly-trained international graduates at a time when our economy needs them most would be hugely damaging for UK businesses. In the interests our education sector, our businesses, and our international standing, the Business Secretary should reconsider this proposal.”

Here's what some UK national had to say about this idea

@NECCRoss That's why they came here in the first place unless they had ulterior motives like abusing the visa rules;) Get out of here!

— rebecca turner MP (@beckyturnerMP) July 10, 2015

Do you support the UK government in this decision? Make sure to share your own views and opinions with us by commenting below. We would love to hear from you.

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