fees – The Orbital

Everyone’s Favourite Worst Nightmare – Tuition Fees

5Jun

By Dominic BarrettNo Comments

Features

Everyone’s Favourite Worst Nightmare – Tuition Fees

Features Editor, Dominic Barrett, discusses the love-hate relationship with university tuition fees. Ask any current university student if they’re looking forward to the prospect of leaving university with a veritable mountain of debt and you’d probably find out pretty quickly just how much they are not looking forward to facing it. That’s not that surprising, but maybe there is another way to look at university fees that might make you feel a little better about them. If you take a quick look at the Labour Manifesto for 2017, a point that might stick out to you is where it specifies that tuition fees for universities should be abolished. That’s great, and would avoid the scenario of leaving university with a whole load of debt. Obviously, this is good news - no disagreement from thi...

Update on Financial Support for EU Students Following Brexit

6Dec

By No Comments

News

Update on Financial Support for EU Students Following Brexit

The organisation - Universities UK (UUK) – represents universities as a voice, ‘helping to maintain the world-leading strength of the UK university sector and supporting university members to achieve their aims and objectives’. Following the terms of the advisory referendum held in June 2016, in which 52% of votes were cast in favour of leaving the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the government would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, and the formal procedure of withdrawal, by the end of March 2017. Immediately this caused a friction of worry among EU students attending university in Britain as uncertainty arose regarding their position, fees and the general security of their degree programmes over the next few years. Furthermore, students on courses with E...

NUS Vice President attends SURHUL preparations for National Mass Demonstration

19Nov

By No Comments

News

NUS Vice President attends SURHUL preparations for National Mass Demonstration

Sorana Vieru, NUS Vice President for Higher Education, was present at a banner-painting event organised by the Royal Holloway Student Union on Wednesday 9th November. The meeting, attended by members of the Left Forum, saw students prepare for a mass demonstration due to take place on the 19th November. Organised by the National Union for Students, the London protest will involve students from across the country voicing their opposition towards increasing tuition fees and a new tiered system. It is being put in place by the current Conservative government. Ms Vieru, who was democratically elected to her post early in 2015, was intensely critical of the Higher Education and Research Bill, calling it “ideologically driven.” She criticised plans to introduce tiered systems, where unive...

Which? Report Criticises Universities for Unfair Changes

26Feb

By No Comments

News

Which? Report Criticises Universities for Unfair Changes

The consumer group Which? has published a report revealing that students are routinely subjected to unfair changes to their university courses. These changes can occur after enrolment or even between years during a student’s degree. Which? found that 6 in 10 students have experienced course modifications such as changes to modules, location of teaching, or even their degree titles. Even more worryingly, 12% of us students are said to have experienced an increase in tuition fees either part-way through an academic year or between years. As students can now be charged up to £9,000 per year, this has led to claims that the higher education system is turning into a consumer market. Which? asserts that many of the London universities are guilty of unfair course changes (thankfully the report...

18Nov

By No Comments

News

NHS fees to be introduced for International Students

The government may begin to charge foreign students for use of the National Health Service, an investigation by Welsh student newspaper Gair Rhyyd has revealed. The findings suggest that the government is willing to implement a £150 surcharge to international students regardless of the impact they actually make upon the NHS, on entry to the UK. It is reported that the £150 charge would be added to international student’s visas, but would only apply to new students coming to the UK to study, not international students currently studying at UK universities. Allegedly a policy paper described the current system, which sees non-native students receive the same treatment as UK students as ‘very generous particularly when compared with international practice.’ It is thought that the new le...

25Aug

By No Comments

News

Foreign students should not be included in government immigration cuts

Top dogs at British universities have called for international students to be excluded from government efforts to cut immigration. A report, published by Universities UK, showed that 59% of the public thought the government should not reduce international student numbers, even if that limits the government’s ability to cut immigration overall. The organisation, whose 134 members are made up of university vice-chancellors, say the public understands the economic and educational benefits brought to Britain by those who come here to study. “There is a broad public consensus that international students are good for Britain,” said Mark Field, Conservative MP. “People welcome the income they bring to these shores; they are happy to see the skills they have gained here help British firms...