Tuition fees are to be increased.

Nurses do need 3 yrs technical training whether you call it a degree doesn’t matter, on a great many wards there is only one “nurse” on duty much of the time, all the other staff are Clinical Support Workers of mixed experience, low waged and short training.
I have no idea how you get more UK nurses trained, free tuition might be a start.

The rise in wages of university teachers have been very modest indeed over the last few years, under rate for most groups, but nevertheless have to be paid for, as well as everything else equipment and so on. (the modest pay rises have been done well, people at lower end of lecturer pay getting a higher %.

LadyGracie

As of 2023, the outstanding student loan debt in the United Kingdom reached over 225.85 billion British pounds, with the majority of the debt coming from England at 205.57 billion pounds, with student loan debt in Scotland amounting to 7.56 billion, Wales 8.04 billion, and Northern Ireland 4.68 billion.3 Jul 2024

But it's all fairly meaningless. It's a debt on a balance sheet, but what really matters to UK students is how much they have to pay over 30/35 years. For most, it's a graduate tax.

To the government, the important figure is the amount which it receives back from students. For universities, their income matters, especially as the number of overseas students, whose fees are about three times the amount of home students, is being hit by immigration policies.

Wyllow3

Fees have been frozen at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year.

*Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the maximum cap will now rise in line with inflation from April 2025

That will increase the cost of tuition to £9,535 next year - a rise of £285*

Ms Phillipson also announced a rise in maximum maintenance loans so they will now increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

The education secretary tried to ward off any panic from students as she said: "I want to reassure students already at university when you start repaying your loan, you will not see higher monthly repayments as a result of these changes to fee and maintenance loans.

www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/news/politics-news/university-tuition-fees-to-increase-in-england-for-first-time-in-eight-years/

Seems time for increases, inflation needs and such.

As of 2023, the outstanding student loan debt in the United Kingdom reached over 225.85 billion British pounds, with the majority of the debt coming from England at 205.57 billion pounds, with student loan debt in Scotland amounting to 7.56 billion, Wales 8.04 billion, and Northern Ireland 4.68 billion.3 Jul 2024

Things have really changed in Nursing.
Nursing Apprenticeship is now in full swing and has been for a few year now. This training gives more people the opportunity to become a nurse and with no educational costs.

They don't pay tuition fees or training fees as the apprenticeship costs are covered by the employer. Basically they earn while on the job, gain valuable experience on the wards they can take their time up to 5 years. Most Trusts have a teaching team, they give day/week release to College's. This is perfect for Mature students with families.
Or you go down the full traditional degree route, with all the fees but it's much quicker.

Fees have been frozen at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year.

*Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the maximum cap will now rise in line with inflation from April 2025

That will increase the cost of tuition to £9,535 next year - a rise of £285*

Ms Phillipson also announced a rise in maximum maintenance loans so they will now increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

The education secretary tried to ward off any panic from students as she said: "I want to reassure students already at university when you start repaying your loan, you will not see higher monthly repayments as a result of these changes to fee and maintenance loans.

www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/news/politics-news/university-tuition-fees-to-increase-in-england-for-first-time-in-eight-years/

Of course it does. But there are so many different types of nurses now - and the degree courses reflect that. We have two nurses in the family - one has a degree in mental health nursing, the other in learning disability nursing. And both have compassion and empathy in abundance.

Don’t think a degree means a nurse always has compassion and empathy.

That’s part of the person themselves.

I suppose they can try and teach it, but it’s surely got to be part of their personality.

Nursing has changed so much, there is not really a role for SENs now. Very short stays in hospital and the increasingly technical support qualified nurses provide has meant that bedside nursing is provided by HCAs, who are able to do additional training to take on additional duties which would previously have been done by ENs - HCA don’t have the same role nursing auxiliaries had either, they sit between that and the EN role.

Freya5

Allira

Freya5

Indigo8

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

If you don't agree with degree courses,perhaps look up to see why it's needed and what is involved.

We have nurses in the family, SRN, one with a degree and another with a Masters.

I agree that some nursing is very technical these days but disagree that all nurses need a degree.

Health care assistants don't need a degree. All others do.

That's the point.

Healthcare assistants or nurses with degrees. No scale in between.

SENs were nurses, more qualified than HCAs and did an excellent job.

I don't really understand why an increase in fees will hit lower income families disproportionately. Almost all students take out loans. Until recently, the majority were never going to be repaid in full.

What has affected graduates is a) the reduction in the level of income at which they start to be repaid b) the extension in the number of years before they're written off. Both these changes introduced by the last Conservative government mean that graduates will pay more and are more important than the initial loan. Graduates on lower incomes will be affected more.

Indigo8

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

Are you kidding? Have you any idea of what is involved in a nursing degree? Nursing is a very different profession from what it used to be.

Nursing is a very technical job these days ! Great skills needed to do the job properly, maths proficiency, sound communication skills, a high standard of written English , compassion, empathy - need I go on !? I am not from a nursing background and none of our children are nurses, I just have great respect for the work they do.

Wether you agree or not, it is a legal requirement to be able to practice as a RGN. It won't change.

Allira

Freya5

Indigo8

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

If you don't agree with degree courses,perhaps look up to see why it's needed and what is involved.

We have nurses in the family, SRN, one with a degree and another with a Masters.

I agree that some nursing is very technical these days but disagree that all nurses need a degree.

Health care assistants don't need a degree. All others do.

Freya5

Indigo8

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

If you don't agree with degree courses,perhaps look up to see why it's needed and what is involved.

We have nurses in the family, SRN, one with a degree and another with a Masters.

I agree that some nursing is very technical these days but disagree that all nurses need a degree.

Indigo8

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

If you don't agree with degree courses,perhaps look up to see why it's needed and what is involved.

I agree with you Indigo8. My DGD is a very good artist but would seriously struggle with a Fine Arts degree. What can she do? She has been told that there are very few apprenticeships in Art.

I agree Allira. We need fewer degree courses too.
For instance why do nursing and fine art have to be a degree courses?

We need more apprenticeships.

This move will appeal to those on the right because it supports reducing immigration. There are less foreign students because the immigration laws have changed, and family members can no longer accompany students. The shortfall as well as the pre existing funding crisis has to be made up to keep universities afloat.

But not for the year 2024-25 surely?
Why wasn’t a measure like this announced in the budget?

There are grants for the poorest you do not have to pay back afaik.

UCAS
"Any means-tested maintenance loans or grants you receive shouldn't interfere with your eligibility for this type of support. Unlike the student loans you receive through student finance, extra funding like this doesn't have to be paid back.

I could tell you a lot about getting grants for poorest students and about paying them back.
Do you think the grants will increase in line with the increase in fees?

I do wonder why they make these announcements without the details.