Education Fees...

[ellal]

We help out a friend from time to time who is not in such a fortunate financial position as we are.
One of their children is going to college this year, having just done GCSE's.
His results were so good that the school he has just left asked if he could 'mentor' struggling pupils on an ad hoc basis. However in order to do this he would have to undergo a DBS check - at his own cost charged through the college, not the old school!

On looking into this, a myriad of charges have recently been added to our 'free' education system. £200 a year 'college fees' for starters. The DBS fee also applies to anyone doing a course in something like health & social care, or any voluntary work. If you have no passport or are not from the EEA/EU you have to be finger printed - at a cost of £50.

Anyone over 19/A level retakes now has to pay towards course fees (upwards of £1200 p.a.) , and if you are an A level student from the EU or your UK parents live abroad, its a staggering £8k p.a. (including a £2,150 'admin' fee p.a.)*.

The list on various courses is endless. Access to a 'studio' for photography students is £150 for example.

Bear in mind this is a state funded college, not a private one

I would be interested in hearing others' experiences of this. Is this just local or nationwide?

*We currently have a UK family member doing a 5 year medical course in a German Uni. Total cost?... £0!

 

[Ian H]

My son is going to college next year studying mechanical and electrical engineering. No fees.

 

[sodthisforfun]

We help out a friend from time to time who is not in such a fortunate financial position as we are.
One of their children is going to college this year, having just done GCSE's.
His results were so good that the school he has just left asked if he could 'mentor' struggling pupils on an ad hoc basis. However in order to do this he would have to undergo a DBS check - at his own cost charged through the college, not the old school!

On looking into this, a myriad of charges have recently been added to our 'free' education system. £200 a year 'college fees' for starters. The DBS fee also applies to anyone doing a course in something like health & social care, or any voluntary work. If you have no passport or are not from the EEA/EU you have to be finger printed - at a cost of £50.

Anyone over 19/A level retakes now has to pay towards course fees (upwards of £1200 p.a.) , and if you are an A level student from the EU or your UK parents live abroad, its a staggering £8k p.a. (including a £2,150 'admin' fee p.a.)*.

The list on various courses is endless. Access to a 'studio' for photography students is £150 for example.

Bear in mind this is a state funded college, not a private one

I would be interested in hearing others' experiences of this. Is this just local or nationwide?

*We currently have a UK family member doing a 5 year medical course in a German Uni. Total cost?... £0!

Education isn't free for kids from overseas with parent's not living in the UK? Am ok with that. I wouldn't expect to study abroad and not pay. Having UK kids and UK parents abroad, I didn't know. Why don't the kids study where the parents are?

Retakes of A levels, over 19 years old, is that a problem? The UK provides free education up to 19 years old, providing a kid is under 19 when they enrol. Should the colleges have to pay because someone failed? It would mean other students would miss out on the funding used to pay - it's not an unlimited pot.

A DBS fee isn't that much money. Again, if a student wishes to study a subject that requires one, why not pay? So many students drop out after all, if they change their mind then it's waste money by the college.

 

[charliegolf]

£200 college fees? 'College' in the UK these days, usually means '6th form' (though I accept that many colleges do HNDs and degrees too). There is no charge for post 16 education, ie 'the bit where a-levels fit in'. Many schools and colleges try and levy a 'voluntary' charge- ignore it, see what happens. At post 16 (A-level, BTec etc), I've never known of a course charge. The Photography thing? No idea. Retakes: my local school has a 6th form- if they felt it appropriate, there'd be no charge. Where the student hasn't played ball first time round, why fund a retake? Similar for remarking of exams- where the school feels the kid has been short changed, they pay for a remark (the cost is refunded if upheld). Where the pupil has achieved what the school expected, and they suspect 'pushy parent' syndrome, they may ask for payment.