It's a worrying time for current and prospective students. Figures
from the Prudential, show that a third of UK university students have
considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they
have encountered. It is not surprising that many prospective students
are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to
university. With the increase in course fees, alongside decreases in
government financial support, the current crop of graduates can expect
huge debts (currently averaging over £13,000) when they enter the
employment market, which they hope will reward them with a highly paid
job.
However, as more students get pushed on to the higher
education production line and undertake degrees, the once elitist
qualification becomes devalued. Suddenly employers find themselves
surrounded by graduates of ambiguous quality. Prestigious highly-paid
careers are rare these days and graduates find themselves increasingly
under pressure to jump through a number of hoops, with many interviews
relying on an individual's ability to sell himself, rather than the
basis of the academic work.
Students need to take responsibility
for their own finances, while the government seeks our recognition of
its actions (educating the unemployed is good for the books ... and
votes), without the state taking on responsibility ("it's an investment
in your own future").
Too many want to bury their heads in the sand and wait for a lottery
win to make it all better. With over one trillion pounds of personal
debt in the UK, students need to realise that the, "it could be you!"
they pray for, is actually an "it is you ... in debt" ... with trapped
wind more likely than wind-fall.
Part of the problem is hopeful
expectation (alias denial), part is a fear of controlling your own
personal finances (alias apathy), and part is a lack of knowledge (alias
ignorance). The first one is difficult, and needs to be overcome by
the individual. The other two however can both be overcome by looking
for help. Sources of information need to be made available, actively
promoted and sought out by consumers.
War of the Worlds: Student Finance Versus Life
Posted by CB Blogger
Blog, Updated at: 8:47 AM
