The blame of student debt has often been debated before – and normally, assumptions are made that the primary reason for this debt are student past times – the kind which lead to sore heads and unfocussed brains the day after the night before.  But last week, figures from the NUS confirmed that “the student” may actually be the scapegoat for a more shocking reason leading to all this debt – the lack of organisation from the government to distribute grants that are relied on. 

I’ve touched on this issue before, and unfortunately feel the need to do so again as the National Union of Students (NUS) confirm approximately 28,500 school leavers are still waiting for their student grants. 

It’s bad enough that we now live in a society where university is quickly becoming a class system.  Only those with the funds to go there are the ones privileged to receive such a high class education.  As many know, the golden ticket of a degree qualification often provides a fast track route through the working system, up to management where the higher salaries are gained. 

It now seems with this latest news the catch 22 cycle is getting worse.  Not only are general affordability issues stopping students going to college and university, but now the appalling lack of organisation and time planning in distributing the grants to those who are reliant on them, is forcing many students or their parents in to immediate debt. 

For some, their parents are sacrificing their own credit rating and well being, to ensure their children have the opportunities they want and need, in order to create the life they desire.  In other circumstances, where parents can’t even afford to offer this, it’s the students who are opting into debt, as they know without it, and with their grant still “on its way”, they have no choice if they still want to pursue their dreams and aspirations of further education.  The common analogy of the taxi “around the corner” rings a bell  

The report from the NUS confirms this whole fiasco has been going on since September of last year – 6 months!!!  If this isn’t ridiculous, I don’t know what is. Maybe it is what is expected from the death throes of a Brown government running around like headless chickens – but it is affecting our students and their lives!  

When we’ve experienced the harsh times of the recession, debt and all the sadness, destruction and heartache this has brought to people’s lives, surely government would understand the necessity to get their act together and sort out these grants.  I am lost for words.  Before long there will be two types of students alone – those who are wealthy enough to afford university on their own, and those drowning in debt who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the ultimate hope that their higher level of education reaps the rewards it should promise to. 

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 12:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.