Soap Box

June 2016

In the Autumn Statement 2015 the Government advised that they intended to freeze the student loan repayment threshold. See our video below on this issue.

A former Durham University student Alex True initiated a petition asking for the matter to be debated in parliament. Even though the petition achieved the minimum required for consideration the government rejected the opportunity explore the concerns raised.

See example news reports 

www.independent.co.uk/student-loans-change-petition

www.theguardian.com/government-throws-out-student-loans-petition

www.moneysavingexpert.com/student-loans-petition-could-yet-end-in-debate-despite-government-rejection

Levitate student is disappointed at this outcome and considers post 2012 English Higher Education students have been let down, mis-led and potentially mis-sold the student finance. 

Its is very concerning that the Government could potentially further alter student loan repayment terms once students are committed to the system. This makes student financially vulnerable and anyone advising students on funding unable to do so with any confidence.




April 2016






March 2016

What a load of RABbish!! Messing with maths & our mind!

So our Soap Box page is where we at Levitate have a little rant, or outbursts of passion both positive and negative.

Today we want to have a rant about the changing messages from the government (as reflected in the media) about the cost to the public purse of the current student loan system. 

The RAB - which is an acronym for The Resource Accounting and Budgeting  is an estimated figure expressed as a percentage cost to the government of borrowing in order to provide the student finance system.

Here are a few historic articles from various sources these people write more effectively on the matter than we could. Hopefully they will give you a insight into the RAB figure of 45% previously muted and the concerns that caused......

www.timeshighereducation.com

Full- Fact.org

Andrew McGettigan

www.ifs.org.uk


Here is a link to a recent Time Higher article reporting that Jo Johnson MP now states that the government calculates the RAB to be 20-25%.

This adjustment follows on from the Chancellors Autumn Statement that altered the repayment terms for students who took on student loans after September 2012. It quite a steep fall which can't help make us wonder if the previous figure was somewhat elevated....

See also useful overviews of the matter from 
CEO of Million +  and WONKHE

Its all very complex stuff and bewildering for many we imagine, not least the student consumers already committed to the system.

From our Soap Box we would like to shout to Jo Johnson MP and the government in general to......



Strive to get the maths right in the first instance and avoid changing loan repayment terms and conditions after students have already signed up to the system.

1 comment:

  1. I completely agree with you that if I get a chance to go in the past, then I also want to do more like you and that too with the help of scholarships. When I took admission in the university, it was very difficult for me to spend so much money on my study, because the financial situation in my house was not good. But nowadays students do not have to face any such difficulty, almost all universities give loans for studying students which is beneficial. Now-a-days almost all websites provide facilities for loans. Thanks for this beneficial article.

    ReplyDelete