Home
>
Personal Finance
>
UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities

UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities

With almost two thirds of university entrants from England and Wales who applied for maintenance grants for this year being unsuccessful, and the average graduate owing ?13,501 when they leave, according to Barclays, combined with a survey by High Fliers Research showing that only 21% of students were confident of managing to enter a graduate-level job this year, it is not surprising that there is a feeling of gloom hanging over many UK university entrants.

According to a survey of students from 30 institutions; 63% believed there are not enough graduate jobs for everyone leaving university this year, with a fifth stating that they felt that there were only limited jobs available.

Jeremy Law, the head of student and graduate banking at Barclays said, "If this trend continues, students starting a three-year course this September could be graduating with debts of almost ?20,000?graduates will find themselves with debts for years to come which may affect their ability to buy homes and invest in pensions?prince or pauper, these levels of debt may act as a deterrent to some people considering going to university."

There are sources of help advice available to prevent student's finances snowballing out of control, with important financial institutions such as Moneynet and other online comparison web sites providing guides to help students with their money, and Barclays Bank recently encouraging students to;

"Consolidate their borrowing and pay off the debts with the highest interest rates first by making use of the cheapest borrowing options, for example, interest free graduate overdrafts or graduate loans?where possible graduates should keep a tight reign on their finances to help set them up financially for the future."

With increases in general levels of graduate debt, negativity surrounding job prospects, and the government concerned with meeting its 2010 target of getting 50% of the under-30s into university, you might expect trepidation over long-term debt to be entering into the psychology of both students and government alike, however this does not, overall, appear to be happening. The government is determined to continue with its plans, and students are still racking up huge student loans and personal debts by focusing on everyday financial pressures, rather than their future.

While worries about money add to their levels of depression, anxiety and stress, university students in Bath declared that it was the short-term lack of cash for paying bills and covering everyday expenses that caused them the greatest concerns.

Students interviewed By Dr Adrian Scott of the University of Bath indicated that, "They think there's nothing they can do about the debts, so there's no point worrying".

A report, conducted for Liverpool Victoria has suggested that in 18 years time when today's 'Child Trust Fund Generation' go to college, English student debts will average approximately ?43,825 which would be about 83% of their first years graduate salary. A worrying figure, but one which does not, according to Liverpool Victoria; "take into account that there is a big push by some universities to get the cap on top-up fees lifted and this would have a massive effect on these figures - probably doubling or tripling the debt."

Dr Scott also found that students were becoming more accustomed to the idea that they would have substantial levels of borrowing, and their perceptions of what was considered an acceptable level of debt was changing. Cognitive strategies rather than financial adjustments were occurring to justify long term debt instead of dealing with it head on. An annual Unite/Mori survey analysing student attitudes, published earlier this year, showed that students were becoming increasingly acclimatised to the idea that, as a student, they would have to acquire certain amounts of debt, which would need to be paid back after graduation. Possibly a major shift in attitudes towards debt will occur should the cap be lifted on top-up fees, but presently students are not being put off going to university by the idea of starting their working life shackled with debt.

Overall personal debt in the UK is increasing at a rate of ?1m every four minutes however the rate of change in the levels of student debt are accelerating far faster than the already worrying UK average (five-fold increase in total graduate debt over the last decade). If no change is made to the graduate jobs market or to student funding, and future graduates are to avoid running the risk of being branded an adverse credit risk at the start of their earning career, then they need to take the financial bull by the horns at an early stage, and take long-term financial planning seriously whilst at college, to reduce their arrears on leaving rather than looking to the never-never.

Resources: moneynet moneynet

Richard lives in Edinburgh, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla, and staring out the office window when he should be working.

post construction cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities

Personal Finance