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However i don't get fucking EMA and it pisses me off. My parents don't give me money to buy things i have to go out and earn it, i attend all my lessons and do my work and get fuck all. Whereas people who just because there parents don't earn as much as are getting up to £30 a week, why is that my problem and why should i get nothing because of it.
It's a joke and totally unfair, it should be the same for everyone and nothing to do with how much your parents earn.
As for the OP just go, i wouldn't give it a second thought.
Driving tests shouldnt be allowable though.
As for a doctor's appointment, don't say anything to the school, just come in afterwards with a signed note from a parent or guardian, and you're covered. If anything is said, just keep calm, and refer the teacher to your parents.
I got EMA as neither of my parents worked (dad had cancer, mum looked after him) but we own a lot of our own home so we could get by on benefits. However I had to use my EMA to pay for anything myself really. I had a part time job as well to afford to treat myself.
Another friend had to give her EMA to her parents (the old system worked similarly), and she worked 18 hours a week for anything she needed and also for anything she wanted.
Yet another friend though, his dad owned their own company and they were pretty loaded, but he still got EMA because their official earnings were below the threshold. He got his own Ford Focus and sat nav and everything. Just goes to show.
So it's swings and roundabouts. It helped me out a lot, I saved it up to afford bike lessons and things like that. Whilst I know there are people who don't get it who have to pay with their own wages for driving lessons and things like that, or people who do get it and get their parents to pay, it does help.
Though having gone uni I found myself in a world of grants, bursaries and scholarships and the response by some was a bit bitter. But I'm not sure if they realised the only reason I received the amount I did (approximately £8000 a year I think) was because my dad passed away and hence our earnings were effectively nil. Everyone is in a different situation and I feel for those who have a working parent, are middle class, but still can't afford everything as they do lose out in the current system.
But without benefits afforded to our family I'm not sure where I'd be right now! We'd have had to sell the house without a doubt. Sorry, went off on one a bit there lol. Although I'm not accusing anyone, it does get difficult when you DO earn these benefits (which you feel guilty about in the first place - surely there are others who might need it more) and then some get really jealous about it and the fact you get more than them.
So I think the upper class rich people are fine, the lower class with benefits are fine, but it's the middle class who miss the benefits but can't afford to spend a lot who miss out (example: large mortgage).
but then if everyone got discounts there wouldn't be much point in the fees. I do agree on the assumption that parents having money means they're going to pay for you is not always true. But they can't go by on what people say.
I know people who get EMA who aren't actually eligable for it, but managed to get through the loophole at the time of applying. One girls dad was between jobs when she applied, but he got a job shortly after, and has had £30 a week all year when her dad is on £40k. I couldn't apply the normal way, because my income didn't change until after the start of the year, so i get a similar thing off the council, and we have to prove that the income hasn't changed and a letter from my school every term before they'll give me anymore money. I think it's alot better, however, i actually get less than what i would be on EMA. So the girl whos dad is on £40k a year has been getting more than me when my mum is only on £560 a month. It's fucked up.
I do an NVQ so it's slightly different. One of my tutors doesn't have a register online for us (all registers are done online now) uses a paper register and has to inform the 6th form office about whose in and whose not. The people who sort out EMA have a copy of our timetable so they know where we're meant to be on a certain day at a certain time.
Of course. I've been told I'm not allowed time off even though my tutor knows that I've stuff wrong with me. One time she told me I needed to go to the doctors (I was in a right state mentally a while back) yet wouldn't allow me time off for it.:rolleyes: (My tutor wouldn't allow me to have time off - not the people in 6th form office who sort out EMA)
Which is what I have to do as well - with the exception of my mobile phone bill.
We've been told we need a doctor's note. I was off sometime this year and told my dad that I had a headache, but instead of writing a note to say that my head was hurting, he ended up lying for me by saying that I was sick the night before - not really convincing though because I was off on a Tuesday and had gone to my work placement on the Monday & Wednesday.
I agree it is unfair. There are loads of people I know who will abuse the system. There's a girl I know who was moaning because she didn't get her bonus in january and she claimed that she doesn't come in on a Friday (which is Key Skills) because every Friday she has the doctors - yet has actually said to a teacher 'I can't come in on Friday because I have work.':rolleyes:
I think they assume that because your parents have money, that they will help you out if you need it.
its probably because most of their students come from private schools - so assume parents will fork out for the rest.
That does seem about right.
There was a uni fair not long ago and everyone said that the reps at oxford and cambridge were horrible and all of the 6th formers going to see them had suits on.
they've been saying that for a while, but i bet oxbridge manage to slip through the net. I think by disadvantaged they mean those from really low income families. So those on EMA. But i think 3 As from a state school are worth more than 3 As from a private school anyway.
And yes, it is a bit unfair that they decide things based on parents income but they have to do it somehow. If you can come up with a better system, I'd like to hear it.
Oh, and just for information everyone is entitled to a non-income assessed fee loan regardless of parental income, then there is the income assessed maintenance loan under the current system for university financing. So finding 9k including fees really isn't that hard, especially as you can get a job in vacations.
I'm well aware of that. Personally, I think £9,000 including tuition fees is a very low estimate, especially with the new fees of £3000 approximately per year.
that was directed at saz
go to a cheaper uni?
1) An A-level from whatever school is the same fucking A-level. Whether state or private it doesn't matter.
2) In the past, the reason Oxbridge and other red bricks took more people from the private sector is because they would have done more of the background reading already as part and parcel of their A-level course. They would have been forced to go over and above what they needed to do therefore making it easier for them to adapt to the tough Uni environment. And yes this is based on a conversation with an Oxbridge recruitment type person before you ask.
3) The EMA system and student loan thing is unfair but it always has been and always will be. A lot of students have to work part-time alongside their A-levels and degree in order to afford to live and have a night out or two a week. That's part of the whole University lifestyle. Those people that get everything paid for them are missing out on some great life experiences. I personally think that they should abolish the EMA system and put all of that money back into Uni grants.
Agreed. Personally, I think EMA is used as a bribe to get people to stay on at school instead of just going straight into work.
But I'd probably end up doing both, working part time and going for the 30 quid. Can't really see how this is an incentive that matters.
I'm also careless enough to go 'fuck this' and skip for one week. I missed about 115 quid by not renewing my rent benefits this year before moving back home. Would love the money now but would no doubt have spent it for something useless anyway and be in the same position I'm in now.
If I was skipping school to go to the mall I might regret losing out on free money, but for anything that matters and the school being anal I'd not bother playing their game.
That's completely unfair. It's not because of that at all, it is because they are looking out for their students welfare. Both of the universities have plenty of money availiable as hardship grants and would far rather give you that than have you working during term time. Generally they are the most respected academic institutions in the country, and teach everything in 3 8 week terms which makes things very intense and the system is very aware of the pressures that causes so wants you to be doing academic work, chilling, or having fun, not slaving your arse off for some crappy studenty part time job. You'll actually find that they let you do some work for the college/university because they know with that you are not getting over worked or badly treated.
Rant over, but it's something I feel strongly about and its people making smart arse comment about all their students being posh private school kids that puts off some of the people who really should be studying there.
Oxford/Cambridge actually have one of the fairest admission processes in the country once you apply. They interview almost everyone and at those interviews they look for potential as much as what you already know. That's why you'll find some colleges still make EE offers, others make the high offers because they know that to be able to cope with the courses you'll need to be able to cope with the pressure and performing in your A levels is one way of showing you can do that.
And I do know what I'm talking about, I'm a cambridge student and I'm involved with the access campaign which is all about getting the right people into Cambridge, not just the posh public school boys.
Sofie, it sounded like you could get a doctors appointment after school on Friday, if it's that vs Friday morning then get one after school and do your homework some other time or take it with you, the actual appointment won't take more than half an hour.
Which will mean having to phone up every day until I get one. (which currently is impossible) Sod it, I'm just going to make one for Friday. Have been in alot of pain recently and really can't go on like this.
And Friday mornings are crap anyway - all we ever do is IT work which I did at GCSE or do other stuff I've already done.
I mentioned this to the receptionist whe I spoke to her on Friday afternoon - she has basically said (along eith everyone else) that my health is more important than my education and if she has to, she will explain to the school that my appointment is urgent and that I have no choice but to take it during school time.