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Preparing for More Expensive Degrees in England Balancing a

游客2024-02-10  17
问题                 Preparing for More Expensive Degrees in England
    Balancing a tight budget is one of the most difficult aspects of being a student. A recent survey from the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers found that money issues are the most critical concerns for young researchers in Europe, ahead of working conditions, training, and supervision.
    Starting in 2012, money is likely to become an even more important concern for students as universities in England are allowed to charge undergraduates up to ￡ 9 000 per year in tuition fees as a way of dealing with government funding cuts. That’s a nearly threefold increase from the current fees, which are capped at ￡ 3 375.
    The funding cuts are set to affect postgraduate education, too, with most English universities expected to increase postgraduate tuition to cover any remaining shortfall. Just how severe the changes will be for postgraduates is uncertain, but many experts advise caution. "All universities are trying to encourage students to think more seriously about how they’re going to manage," says Sheila King, financial support coordinator at Cardiff University in Wales.
    So, what do students need to know about the changes?
Details and debt
    The details are complicated. Universities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will be allowed to raise tuition to the same extent as in England, but in those places the new fees will apply only to students coming from the rest of the United Kingdom. For example, Scottish students do not currently pay tuition and will not be expected to do so after 2012 unless they attend universities in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
    A further inequity is that under EU regulations, universities must charge students from the rest of the European Union the same amount as home students. This means that fees for EU students will be heavily subsidized(补贴)by universities in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales(but not England), while English students in these three countries will pay more than EU students attending the same universities.
    Whatever the tuition bill, full-time undergraduates in England will have to either pay up front or apply for a loan from the government, which they need not begin paying back until they have completed their degree and are earning more than ￡ 21 000 per year. Full-time undergraduates can apply, in addition, for a maintenance loan to contribute to accommodation, food, and travel costs. Part-time students will be able to apply for a tuition loan but not a maintenance loan.
    The main concern of career advisers and student-support workers is the substantial debt that most students in England will face after graduation. For a standard 3-year degree charged at ￡ 9 000 per year science courses are among the most expensive to run—-the average debt from student loans, including maintenance, is expected to be around ￡43 000. The British Medical Association estimates that medical students could graduate more than ￡70 000 in debt.
The benefits of part-time work
    One way of dealing with the new financial burden would be to work part time. According to the 2010 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey, more than one-quarter of all undergraduate students in the United Kingdom worked part time during their studies that year a percentage that is now expected to rise. For those doing a second undergraduate degree, a job may be the only option, as they will not be eligible for government loans.
    Juggling part-time work and studies can be tough but a job or paid internship can have benefits beyond the financial. "There is a recognition and a demand for students to be as employable as possible when they finish their degree, and part of that is gaining relevant work experience," King says.
    "My internships helped me during my master’s as I had already had 3 months of experience using different equipment and writing a lab book," says Mike Stock, who began a Ph. D. in geology this year after doing internships with the Atomic Weapons Establishment, the international oil and natural gas company Petro-Canada, and a research assistantship at the University of Southampton.
Planning for postgraduate studies
    Ongoing uncertainty over the impact of the funding cuts means that many universities haven’t yet set their postgraduate charges for 2012. According to a recent National Survey of UK Tuition Fees, the average cost of a taught master’s degree program across 147 UK higher education institutions rose 24% in just 1 year, from ￡ 4 989 in 2010—2011 to the current ￡ 6 184. The fee is expected to increase even more dramatically in 2012. "Ultimately, the decision on postgraduate fees will depend on calculations about what they need to do to survive as a university," says a University of Southampton Student Services representative who prefers not to be named.
    In the United Kingdom, approximately 19 000 Ph. D. s are partly or fully funded by the research councils. Universities and industry partners also offer funded postgraduate positions and a range of bursaries(助学金), scholarships, and awards. However, many universities are now unsure how many positions they will be able to support in 2012. This could leave some Ph. D. students struggling for funding, since the government does not provide loans to support postgraduate study. One view held by careers specialists is that an increasingly competitive job market, paired with difficult economic times, might encourage more students to pursue postgraduate degrees. "If there are fewer funding opportunities available for postgraduate study and more applicants, each available position will become very competitive," says the Southampton University Student Services representative.
    This makes it all the more important for aspiring postgraduate students to seek funding early, especially if they have financial commitments such as a mortgage(抵押)or a family. One approach is to apply for funding as broadly as possible. "After my undergraduate degree in mathematics, I was awarded a ￡4 000 scholarship from the Society for Underwater Technology," says Graeme MacGilchrist, who began a Master of Science in oceanography this year. As UK students brace for tough times, the key message from career advisers and student representatives is that students can ease the situation by starting to plan now. "We can’t do anything about the level of fees, but we can do something to help students help themselves," King says. [br] Without loans from the government to postgraduate study, some Ph.D. students have to______
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答案 struggle for funding
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