Student finance basics, UCAS Discovery, and humankind's greatest achievement.
😊 Welcome
This week we make an abrupt 180 degree turn, from last week’s ancient Roman philosophy, to one of the most critical and practical challenges for all students: understanding student finance.
We find out about UCAS Discovery Exhibitions, which start this week.
And we learn why education should not be seen merely as a hoop for you to jump through.
✍️ Student Finance Part 1: Fees, loans and grants
So… you are nearly there! You are making your final decisions about where to go to university this year, and at the back of your mind is that nagging feeling that there is something still to do.
And it’s something important.
Yep, finance and funding: tuition fees, loans, scholarships, grants and budgets. The stuff that no-one really wants to deal with, but which underpins everything.
So this week and next, we’ll look at financing your time at university.
This week we’ll cover whether you will be entitled to funding from the UK government, how tuition fees work, and how you access student loans and grants.
Next week we’ll look at budgeting, and how to manage all your costs on a daily basis.
💡 Did You Know?
UCAS Discovery Exhibitions begin this week.
These are your chance to speak to loads of universities about their courses, all in one place.
There will also be a zone for apprenticeships and employers too.
Plus there will be subject talks and practical advice on applying to university.
They kick off today in Manchester, and travel right across the country, finishing in Scotland in the autumn.
For a full list of venues and dates, check out:
📢 Quote of the week
“Education is one of humankind's greatest achievements. Passing down information from generation to generation, has allowed us to accumulate an incredible amount of knowledge. Unfortunately, for most students, education is something that they ‘have to do’. For too long, we've treated education as a hoop that we need to jump through. Students see classes and programs as entry requirements: things they need to complete to get to the next stage. But this misses the true purpose of education: to help us contribute more.”
JP Michel
From "The World Needs You: A new mindset for student career exploration”
While your parents (and maybe even some of your teachers) may see school as a series of hoops for you to jump through, you now know better!
Education is actually there for you, so that you can contribute and help solve the world's challenges.
So... what challenge do you most want to solve?
Start exploring this now, and you'll start to see your education, and your university choices, gradually fall into place.
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it
📅 Next week
Coming up next week: Student Finance 2 - Setting and managing your budget
