Will the bill increase applications to scottish universities?

My sister wants to become a doctor and was horrified last night as the results were read out.
I have a lot of confidence in her and reflecting on her recent gcse mock examination results, i am confident that she will achieve at least 7A* grades if not 10.
Since the bill had been passed she decided that she would apply to read medicine at cambridge or oxford, edingburgh, aberdeen and possibly another scottish university. I am sadened by this as Mr Blairs plans are already causing would be med students and others to rethink their future plans. I tried to explain to her that it wouldn't affect her future standard of living greatly but she just wasn't having any of it. I only hope that she'll get into oxbridge, no disrespect to aberdeen or edingburgh as they are both excellent medical schools.

What are your views?

English students will still have to pay tuition fees even if they study in a scottish university

There's meant to be a supposed 'concession' with medical students anyway, hopefully the government will recognise that we can't leave medical school with £60K+ in debts.

60k debts?? Where do you get that from?

The re-payment in England will be more favourable than in Scotland.

That's what would happen if they charged variable tuition fees. Some of my medic friends are already £30K in debt and that's only paying the basic £1k a year, not to mention living expenses...

what are they spending the money on? do they have a mortgage on 7 houses and a racehorse?

Lol! I've only been here for under 2 terms and have spent close to 3.5 grand, it does all add up! And my racehorse isn't doing particularly well this season either.

but spending 29K a year? seriously, what are they spending it on? concorde flights?

Even under the new system the maximum a 5 yr med student could be owing to the government would be £35k.

I can't imagine *any* bank lending £25k in unsecured loans/overdrafts to a student with no credit history.

No, no, the medics in question are in the 4th year!! Otherwise, I'd hope someone would certainly be cancelling their credit cards!

oh, i thought that that was what they were spending in a year

7.5K a year is still quite excessive, im only on 1.4K debt.

the figure of 60 odd thousand for medics is for those living in London and doing a 6 year course and it is beleivable if you think about how extortionate the rent is. Also is you think that many edics need to run a car once they get into the 3rd year or above because they have placements in a varity of hospitals etc. Also they get less vacation time so they can't earn as much money in their holidays and added to that they have so many contact hours that it is harder for thm to get paid employment in term time (i live with medics by the way so they constantly rubbish the life of an art student eg me )

But £35k is very expensive, especially considering living costs can be up to £5K a year.

True it's not cheap but it's a long way from £60k.

And under the new system every student will have £4k pa in student loans to help towards living costs (and earning £1kpa during the summer holidays isn't quite so hard as earning the £3k that students who pay their up front fees currently have to find to live on)

the figure of 60 odd thousand for medics is for those living in London and doing a 6 year course and it is beleivable if you think about how extortionate the rent is. Also is you think that many edics need to run a car once they get into the 3rd year or above because they have placements in a varity of hospitals etc. Also they get less vacation time so they can't earn as much money in their holidays and added to that they have so many contact hours that it is harder for thm to get paid employment in term time (i live with medics by the way so they constantly rubbish the life of an art student eg me )

Our summer holidays from the second year on are incredibly short unfortunately, and we are not allowed to work during term time. I'm not a particularly heavy spender, but I can confidently say I would have spent £7/8K by the end of the academic year (including fees etc. and no loan)