Education Only for The Rich?

A lot of people complain about going into debt as a student.  Personally I don’t see the complaint.  Going to university is something that I wanted to do, and that benefited me.  I gained out of it because I met some really interesting people, because I learnt some fascinating stuff and because I spent four great years really enjoying myself.   After all that enjoyment, and all that gain if I don’t gain financially how much do I have to pay for it?  Nothing, not a thing.  Basically I only pay back my load if I earn a set amount of money, and then only a small amount, increasing as my salary increase.  So, if after my degree I benefit financially then I pay for my education, if not I don’t.  How much more sense could a system make?  Furthermore the result of the loan system is that no matter how poor you are, you can take a degree course, if your smart enough to get it!  That’s right, if you have two pence to your name, you can get a loan/grant for £6,000.  Enough to almost live on for a year , certainly if you work for fifteen hours a week then your sorted!!

Sadly though, this system does not extend to postgraduate study, in fact I find the postgraduate study is the reserve of the rich.  Basically, if you have the qualifications as an undergrad you can go anywhere, Cambridge, LSE, Swansea, all affordable if you’re bright enough.  But with postgraduate courses the prices varies from place to place, and there is no financial support from the state.  Thus you may pay £9.000 to study in some places, or £3,000 in  others.  Without significant support from affluent parents this fee is pretty much unattainable for the average student.   

Now, the fact is I have a first class degree from a good university.  All I want to do is continue my education,.  I’m happy to pay for it, but can’t do so upfront., certainly not to the tune of 9K!!  This means that my choice is basically not to study, or to pick somewhere cheap!  I believe that education should be paid for by those who gain most from it, the students, that’s just fair!  But money should never stop people studying if they have the relevant level of qualifications.

I believe that it is time for postgraduate education to be opened to the masses.  With a degree becoming the standard level of education, more and more people will be looking to do masters degrees to boost their employment potential.  Right now the best academic candidate will not be getting the best places, thus it is time to make the system availed to all.  Lobby your local MP, make this happen!!