Student Loans

Why University is Worth Spending Out For

Jordan Hogan | Posted 17.04.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Jordan Hogan

I'm not going to lie, the tuition fees are more than they used to be a year ago but that doesn't mean that higher education is out of the question for you. I myself decided this year to go to university and not once did the price ever come across my mind.

How Banks Are Exploiting Students (And How TransferWise Could Save Us)

Rachel Hosie | Posted 26.03.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Rachel Hosie

As an undergrad about to embark on a year abroad, I was gobsmacked to recently discover that international students are being disgracefully overcharged by sneaky banks for transferring money abroad. Yes, apparently the average undergrad paying £9,000 per year ends up paying £335 in hidden bank charges.

What of My Prospects?

Nicholas Cooper | Posted 01.05.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Nicholas Cooper

When I get to a point that I want to sell my soul to capitalism I'll naively wade in assuming that my natural charisma and way with words that are clearly evident from this article will see me soaring above the competition

Priced Out, Is a Masters a Must Have That Students Can't Afford?

Patrick Thompson | Posted 06.04.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Patrick Thompson

The answer might be a master's degree. An extra year of specialist study to rack up your employability sounds to the uninitiated like a bomb proof idea. The problem is the cost. While students have spent the last three years protesting about undergraduate fees the issue of master's fees has gone unchallenged.

Scotland To Review Student Loans As Thousands Left Penniless

The Huffington Post UK | Lucy Sherriff | Posted 06.11.2012 | UK Universities & Education

The Scottish Executive has announced a review into the student loans system after thousands were left struggling to afford food and rent because they ...

'Chaos' As Thousands Of Scottish Students Hit By Loans Shambles

The Huffington Post UK | Lucy Sherriff | Posted 31.10.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Thousands of students are still without their bursaries and loans despite being more than a month into the term, with reports of some being forced to ...

Are You Too Friendly With Facebook?

The Huffington Post UK | Lucy Sherriff | Posted 18.09.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Students who add strangers on Facebook are being warned of the dangers of online fraud as a new survey shows many share confidential information on th...

How Loans Put a Noose Around the Neck of the Student

Clive Stafford Smith | Posted 11.11.2012 | UK Universities & Education
Clive Stafford Smith

Without wishing to announce, piously, I told you so: 14 years ago I railed against the Blair government's introduction of student loans in 1998. I said then that student loans would do more harm to the fabric of our society than the reintroduction of capital punishment. Sadly, it's still true.

Ministers 'Rushing' To Approve Private College Degrees

BBC | Posted 13.07.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Government ministers have been accused of rushing into approving degree and diploma-level courses at private colleges in England. Four hundred cour...

Student Loans Chief To Stand Down Over Tax Controversy

PA | Posted 25.07.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Student Loans Company head Ed Lester will stand down when his contract expires next year in the wake of controversy over his tax arrangements. Lest...

Five Harsh Realities About Higher Education

Korina Karampela | Posted 29.06.2012 | UK Universities & Education
Korina Karampela

We really don't want this generation to end up with big debts around their necks and jobs they don't enjoy. We need to provide them with the tools and the confidence to make informed decisions that will get them off to a good start.

Out Of Work Graduates Settling For Lower-Skill Jobs

PA/Huffington Post UK | Posted 06.03.2012 | UK Universities & Education

One in five new graduates is out of work, while many more are being forced to take jobs that do not require a degree, official figures show. Howev...

Vince Cable Right to Abandon Penalties on Early Student Loan Repayments

Tim Leunig | Posted 20.04.2012 | UK Universities & Education
Tim Leunig

The average person making an early repayment is aged 25 and earns less than £20,000 a year. The average repayment is £900. These people repay because they don't like being in debt. Once in a while they find that they have £500 or £1000 spare and decide to pay off some of their student debt. To penalise these people would be bizarre.

Criticised Student Lender: 'Student Union Is Out To Get Us'

Huffington Post UK | Lucy Sherriff | Posted 16.02.2012 | UK Universities & Education

A lending service aimed at students has said it is "upset" at the accusation that it misleads customers, arguing student unions are "out to get us". ...

Early Repayment Penalty For Student Loans Ditched

PA | Posted 16.02.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Plans to impose penalties on students who pay off university loans early are being ditched, the government is expected to announce next week. Minis...

An Illegal Education: How I Had to Commit a Crime to Get a Fair Chance

Chavala Madlena | Posted 15.04.2012 | UK Universities & Education
Chavala Madlena

I was born to a single mother in Oakland, California, now I live and work in London as a journalist, a field which is financially precarious and notoriously difficult to break in to. People are often curious as to how this happened. The answer is: I broke a few laws, here and there.

Could the Bankers Leave Our Money on the Dresser on Their Way Out?

Nick Wealthall | Posted 13.04.2012 | UK Comedy
Nick Wealthall

Bankers' bonuses are in the news again. Actually so are Network Rail's and the people who do student loans. Give it a week or two and that extra fiver I gave my cleaner for doing the fridge last week will be under scrutiny.

Wonga Pressured To Withdraw 'Irresponsible' Student Loan Drive

PA/Huffington Post UK | Posted 11.01.2012 | UK Universities & Education

Short-term money lender Wonga.com has been branded "highly irresponsible" for encouraging students to take out one of its high-interest loans. The ...

The Kids Aren't Alright: Young People Should Live in 2012, Not the 1800s

Matthew Tucker | Posted 10.03.2012 | UK Universities & Education
Matthew Tucker

The BBC's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations rolled across our screens this Christmas, portraying the struggle of young Pip as he made his way in a turbulent Victorian world.' A story of the past' you say, ancient cultural history... but Pip's plight is apparently not so far from reality in 2012.

Shouting Down David Willetts

The Cambridge Union Society | Posted 23.01.2012 | UK Universities & Education
The Cambridge Union Society

David Willetts has an opinion on what the idea of the university is, but when he agreed to come and share this view at Cambridge University, he was denied the chance to speak. Within seconds of stepping up to the podium, Willetts was met with an angry mass counter-speech from Cambridge Defend Education.

Muslim Students cry Usury to Avoid Interest on Student Loans. Is This Fair?

Nik Darlington | Posted 22.10.2011 | UK Universities & Education
Nik Darlington

If Muslim students do not want to pay interest on their student loans because doing so would contravene their faith, then I have some sympathy for them. However, we cannot have a situation in which some graduates end up paying less because they happen to observe a different religion to their peers.