Income tax for pensioners should not exceed £4,000 per year.

Sorry, but I remember father paying £93 a term fees. I was worried that if I had to retake my by then husband and myself would not be able to pay them if father refused!
It was very complicated as I married when still a student. The council said I was still dependant on father, so refused to up my grant or pay fees. The IR said I was married and therefore dependant on oh, so refused to allow me against fathers income.
Funnily enough if we had lived in Birmingham rather than Stafford shire my fees would have been paid.
This was in the 1960s

I think actual tuition fees were not payable by UK residents , so I looked this up and (I quote) "tuition fees were first introduced across the entire United Kingdom in September 1998 as a means of funding tuition to undergraduate and postgraduate certificate students at universities, with students being required to pay up to £1,000 a year for tuition."
Of course in 2006 (?) this went up.

Yes, yes, yes!! I've said that too, on another, very, very similar thread. No response, of course.

Why should people who earn more pay more tax?
Forgive the use of cutnpaste here, but it makes it easier to answer this incomprehensible question:
(drum roll)
Because it is called Income Tax, Frank.
Or you could put it this way
"From each according to his means, to each according to his needs"

Yes I got the £50 as I said, but my father paid the fees. They were means tested and his income was too high!

In Edinburgh there is (was?) a long weekend in the middle of the academic year called Meal Monday. By tradition students from rural farms were allowed a Monday off so that they could go home to their parents over the weekend and pick up a sack of meal to replace the one they had brought with them at the start of the year. That, and a barrel of herring if funds would allow, was their basic food - provided by parents. (I have to add that this was before my day, but the holiday was still held, and I think still is.)

When I described this to a modern student, they got quite the wrong end of the stick and assumed that students were treated better in olden days, being given a sack of meal by the University. Chance would be a fine thing!

Tuition fees were set at a nominal figure in our days and that would include yours, Galen and everybody, whatever their income was entitled to what was known as "the minimum grant" which was £50 per annum plus fees paid. The ony exceptions would be non UK residents. Stubebt grants as others have said were to assist with living expenses = college/hall of residence etc.

No! My father was still using it along with the leeches! (And that's true)

Galen Didn't you inherit the family cauldron? How disgraceful. We were a very blessed and fortunate generation in many ways though.

It was in ancient times when I qualified. You had to provide your own cauldron and stirring stick as well!

Ana The student grant was to help with cost of living away from home and having to buy books, etc. It was means tested on parental income and living costs, so those students from large families or who had parents with large mortgages were given bigger grants than those who didn't. Charging students for tuition in England didn't happen until Tony Blair decided it was a good idea. The vote to introduce tuition fees was passed by the tiniest majority – and one that was dependent on MPs from Scotland and Northern Ireland whose constituents were not affected.

Oh I see - I hadn't realised parents' income was taken into account.

Galen Living expenses, textbooks and instruments were all a cost, but I bet you didn't have to pay tuition fees in the days when you (and Frank and I) qualified in our respective disciplines.

Income I suspect!
I didn't get a grant because of that either. I was a poor student, but, it taught me the value of money. Actually I did get £50 a year but that didn't even cover my textbooks and instruments.

Why did he have to, out of interest, Galen?

My father paid my medical school fees!

HUNTERF Did you pay tuition fees when you studied for your degree in – business studies, was it? I certainly didn't pay for any of my many years at university for which I am profoundly grateful. However, I have paid quite a lot of tax since.

Flickety well said. Compassion is a foreign word here.

I am, almost speechless, Frank said:
'Why should people who earn more pay more tax?.
People who earn more only use the same services.'

This is where I lose my cool. I do not think I have ever read a more selfish, hard hearted Thatcherite statement on Gransnet before. The purpose of taxation is not just to pay for the services we consume but also to help those in society who for any reason are living in poverty.

I am very happy to know that the money I pay in taxation is being used to provide housing, education, medical care and all the other services that other people need and I am fortunate not to. The idea that any one should have such a selfish self centred view as to think that they should only pay for the government services they receive fills me with contempt.

I had better stop hear in case I stray into 'message reported and removed' territory

Frank your daughters (if they exist) are paying taxes towards the education of their children, I am also still paying tax on my income so could even be contributing to the education of your grandchildren!

Granjura

I agree with what you are saying.

Frank

Hi Sunseeker

People pay for their own education as my daughters are now taxpayers and saving for their own pension.
Also I am paying tax now and my daughters are likely to do so when they get their pensions.

Frank

HunterF - why not apply this throughout life then, not just pensioners?

Its my belief that Frank is a student who likes trying to get the wrinklies all worked up!

However, if he is real and bearing in mind he doesn't like his taxes paying for anyone else, can I apply to him for a refund for my taxes which paid for the education of his children (I don't have children myself and worked full time and paid taxes until my retirement).

Hi susieb755

Why should people who earn more pay more tax?.
People who earn more only use the same services.

Frank