Back to Uni at 40, argh...

[JDC]

* sell my flat and move back in with the parents (freeing up the equity in the property towards fees).
* rent out my flat and move back in with the parents (the mortgage still gets paid and it costs me nothing to keep paying it off).
* re-mortgage to free up equity and rent out property (raises cash for fees, but I'm back at square one with my mortgage).

Without doing the maths I think second option makes the most sense financially since there is still a housing shortage so prices are rising again (I'm assuming it's above the rate of inflation), the disadvantage being you've not got a location to bish bash bosh with a fine lady.

Wouldn't rent out to someone who's living off benefits, seen a few horror stories.

[38thBeatle]

I'd say the middle option too...but beware of tenants who are just not prepared to respect your property. Make sure you get proper references and consider appointing an agent- and tell your Insurance company too as some don't like let properties and if they find out after the event, they can refuse to pay if you need to make a claim. And try to get a Landlord's legal expenses policy in case it all goes wrong and make sure it coveres eviction costs. 

[HTH AMPS]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

After the dust has settled and I've done real figures, its really just too tight to be able to make this work.  The tuition fees are totally killing the viability of this.  £9000 is £750 a month - with no fixed income at Uni, thats a hell of a lot of money.  With that hanging over my head all the time, I'd be constantly worried about money.

Last gasp attempt is trying to get private funding - wish me luck fellas  :(

[forestcaver]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

After the dust has settled and I've done real figures, its really just too tight to be able to make this work.  The tuition fees are totally killing the viability of this.  £9000 is £750 a month - with no fixed income at Uni, thats a hell of a lot of money.  With that hanging over my head all the time, I'd be constantly worried about money.

Last gasp attempt is trying to get private funding - wish me luck fellas  :(

Gutted! It is a crazy amount of money now - gonna be really hard for any mature students now....

[Dave Sloven]

I'm sure the government think they've fixed the university system now.  Keep the oiks out and all that rah rah.

[Alex]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

After the dust has settled and I've done real figures, its really just too tight to be able to make this work.  The tuition fees are totally killing the viability of this.  £9000 is £750 a month - with no fixed income at Uni, thats a hell of a lot of money.  With that hanging over my head all the time, I'd be constantly worried about money.

Last gasp attempt is trying to get private funding - wish me luck fellas  :(

I don't know how much you're settled in the UK family-wise, but I'll repeat that if you go to a different country (Netherlands, for example), you can maybe study a lot cheaper. You might also be able to get funding for life-long learning/getting back into education from the EU - not sure, but I know they sponsor a of internships across European borders.

[Alex]

I'm sure the government think they've fixed the university system now.  Keep the oiks out and all that rah rah.

I'm pretty sure this government doesn't do a lot of thinking at all.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

After the dust has settled and I've done real figures, its really just too tight to be able to make this work.  The tuition fees are totally killing the viability of this.  £9000 is £750 a month - with no fixed income at Uni, thats a hell of a lot of money.  With that hanging over my head all the time, I'd be constantly worried about money.

Last gasp attempt is trying to get private funding - wish me luck fellas  :(

that's the main reason I'm not at uni, I admire you though for taking the leap, hopefully something great will come out of it

[Dave Sloven]

I'm sure the government think they've fixed the university system now.  Keep the oiks out and all that rah rah.

I'm pretty sure this government doesn't do a lot of thinking at all.

They only play dumb.  A bit like when everyone though George W. Bush was so 'stupid'.  Behind the bumbling comedy act there is a concerted effort to strip the people of the rights and redistribute wealth upwards, including transferring public resources to corporations.  It's systematic, not thoughtless.

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I'm sure the government think they've fixed the university system now.  Keep the oiks out and all that rah rah.

I'm pretty sure this government doesn't do a lot of thinking at all.

They only play dumb.  A bit like when everyone though George W. Bush was so 'stupid'.  Behind the bumbling comedy act there is a concerted effort to strip the people of the rights and redistribute wealth upwards, including transferring public resources to corporations.  It's systematic, not thoughtless.

wealth only every goes upwards through the classes not downwards to the poorest who need it the most

[HTH AMPS]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

After the dust has settled and I've done real figures, its really just too tight to be able to make this work.  The tuition fees are totally killing the viability of this.  £9000 is £750 a month - with no fixed income at Uni, thats a hell of a lot of money.  With that hanging over my head all the time, I'd be constantly worried about money.

Last gasp attempt is trying to get private funding - wish me luck fellas  :(

I don't know how much you're settled in the UK family-wise, but I'll repeat that if you go to a different country (Netherlands, for example), you can maybe study a lot cheaper. You might also be able to get funding for life-long learning/getting back into education from the EU - not sure, but I know they sponsor a of internships across European borders.

Sounds interesting - have you got any kind of links for the funding side of that?

One thing that immediately springs to mind is the language barrier - surely they'd be teaching in whatever the native language is?

[Alex]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/go-dutch-save-money-british-students-can-take-degrees-in-english-at-the-university-of-maastricht-and-pay-lower-fees-than-at-home-1707509.html

I haven't looked into funding etc. I work in Higher Education (in the UK), so I'm just aware of all sorts of trends, and the University of Maastricht has been known to offer degrees in English for a lot less than UK universities. German and French universities are slower to jump aboard English-language degrees, plus the connection to the UK is better from the Netherlands.

[HTH AMPS]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/go-dutch-save-money-british-students-can-take-degrees-in-english-at-the-university-of-maastricht-and-pay-lower-fees-than-at-home-1707509.html

I haven't looked into funding etc. I work in Higher Education (in the UK), so I'm just aware of all sorts of trends, and the University of Maastricht has been known to offer degrees in English for a lot less than UK universities. German and French universities are slower to jump aboard English-language degrees, plus the connection to the UK is better from the Netherlands.

I shall certainly look into that - cheers fella.

[AndyR]

I've only read this thread today.

Back in the day when it was a grant, I could understand the idea of not being able to get a second one if you've already received one for the same level... I considered a second degree years ago (before it switched to loans), and although it meant I couldn't do it, it seemed perfectly reasonable to me that I couldn't get a second grant...

But now it's loans, not grants, and especially if you've already paid the first one off... doesn't seem quite as acceptable to me.

I do hope you can find some way to do it.

[Lew]

That's a shame. I went pre-hikes and I don't think I would go at the current prices, either. My friend has chosen to gone to China and the costs are tiny in comparison.