Graduate Fees Petition

[medschoolsonline.co.uk]

Hmm...

The most likely reason for this is that your LEA have made a mistake. I would make sure you have the money or a plan for how you would get the money if they demand it back at some point during your course, which is not unheard of.

Unfortunately, Bill Rammel has informed us that grads are not entitled to fee loans and that they will not consider altering the policy unless it becomes clear that this is affecting the demographics of applicants....

http://www.medschoolsonline.co.uk/in...82&topicid=168

[flirtini]

For anyone with the inclination, DO write a letter/e-mail Bill Rammell - just to show him how much this government policy will affect us - but don't expect a response that answers any of your questions. My mum wrote a letter to him in protest about the difference in funding between GEPs and graduates entering non-accelerated medical courses (i.e. the former costing £3k in fees, the latter costing £12k) and, as any typical MP, he skirted around, over and under most of the letter's questions spectacularly. I'll have to type the original letter and his response in here later in anyone's interested...

[flirtini]

...or find someone with a scanner :P

[exms]

Medschoolsonline seems to be down. Could anyone who has the owners' email address contact them to find out what's happened?

I would just PM them, but I find myself wondering if they have their registered email address on medschoolsonline, in which case a PM and email notification would be rather pointless

-- A.

[sammy123]

I don't have a degree but a diploma in nursing was banking on a fee loan but told i can't get it for the 1st 2 years. Also as my husband bothers to go out to work i cant get the parents grant or any help with childcare costs either!! i know that there my kids and others shouldn't have to pay but at least were are paying into the tax system.It would cost me less to divorce him and then remarry later!! Doesn't seem fair that the government don't suport those who want to better themselves by entering a profession which will be serving the population!!
Any way moan over it won't put me off which is what the governemt are banking on.

[medschoolsonline.co.uk]

Hiya,

Sorry, we had a few problems with the website and had to take it down for a few weeks - everything's up and running again now though.

As flirtini said, please please please write to Bill Rammel and explain your situation! The official line that we were given was that there is no evidence that the up front fees have / will deter those from less advantaged backgrounds from applying. The more people who write to explain the impact it will have on them, the better.

I'm afraid we have given this campaign our best shot and hit a brick wall. We're now only 18 months from graduating and don't have the time to continue fighting this. Therefore, we would strongly urge all graduate medical students to take it up with the BMA and Bill Rammel and try to get a fairer deal.

If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.

Good luck!

[turnip09]

I did my first degree prior to the introduction of top up fees so I never applied for the tutition fee loan.

Does anyone know if this means I am still not eligible for a tuition fee loan, despite the fact i have never had one previously?

[medschoolsonline.co.uk]

I take it you mean you did your first degree before tuition fees - tuition fee loans have only been introduced this year, which is what all the fuss is about. I think the problem occurs if you have previously received public funding for your degree - i.e. payment of any part of your tuition fees or a student grant (as in what you got 10 years ago - a non-repayable grant to cover living expenses - hmm, how things have changed

I *think* you would still be eligible for the tuition fee loan if all you have had is a student loan for living expenses - but I'm not sure of that. Basically, you need to go over the student loans information with a fine toothed comb and see if you can work it out. Whatever you do, DO NOT TRUST information from your LEA or the student support advice line - they consistently mis-inform people. I myself rang up the student support helpline asking if graduates could get a tuition fee loan, during the time when there was a petition against the decision to deny graduates these loans and the BMA was in talks with Bill Rammell, trying to convince him to change the policy. I was told categorically that graduates could get these loans - they didn't have a clue. If your LEA is unaware of the problem too it might work out well, you may get a loan despite having previous funding. But it has been known for people to be contacted half the way through their course, demanding that they pay the money back as the LEA realised their mistake.

My advice would be to check it over with the DFES.

Good luck!

[Bambi]

You definately aren't eligible for the tuition fee loan even if all you had for your first degree was the basic living expenses loan.

[mussed]

In Scotland...

Given the state of affairs for Scottish GEP entrants, and the new government (admittedly one that may be even more hostile to us going to England!) it might be worth people sending off letters/emails of protest again. Although, for all those staying in Scotland, one of the SNP's key pledges has been to cancel all loan repayments for Scottish-domiciled graduates and move back to the grant for new students, there has been no mention about those who are Scottish-domiciled and studying in England. Even if you've been forced to stay in Scotland for financial issues, it's probably worth bugging them.

Nicola.Sturgeon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk - NHS
Fiona.Hyslop.msp@scottish.parliament.uk - Education