Do I have to, can I be force to, graduate?

[Delta-NC]

I attended a Scottish university as a Scottish student.

I got a nice letter though the door today, telling me I had to pay a £2200 "graduate endowment". Though attached at the bottom was a statement telling us all not to pay until the SNP have at least attempted to scrap it.

Had I left uni last year, I would have been excempt from paying it. (Started my course at College). Though I started a fourth year it was not possible for me to finish it, due to lecturers refusing to assist me with an honors project, and I therefore did not attend for more than a few weeks.

Effectively, the lecturers failing to do their job properly have cost me this money. I dont see why I should be forced to pay it. I have a staff member there now looking into it for me.

I feel the quality of education I received there was worthless, and I don't feel I am in any position to enter a career in my chosen field, in fact, I am rather put off of it altogether. I therefor see my degree as a worthless piece of paper, and find it shocking that I have even been awarded it at all.

I made no steps towards "graduating", did not attend a ceremony, did not accept anything, did not sign anything, so how can they claim I have graduated at all?

I don't even want the degree, they can stick it where the sun doesn't shine for all I care. It was nouthing but a waste of time and money, and I'd rather not increase that cost.

[GlasweJen]

Did you officially tell the university that you wanted to terminate your contract and leave part way through the year?

Were you SAAS funded and if so did you inform SAAS that you did not complete the year?

Did you ever put your issues re. the lack of support for honours project in writing to the university?

Chances are you if you didn't officially remove yourself from the course then will have to pay the graduate fee (unless the SNP get there way), if you didn't tell SAAS that you failed to complete the year then you may well be billed for that as well as well as them clawing back any bursary they gave you for that year.

[GlasweJen]

sorry, third question was there because if you made complaints at the time then you may be able to take it to small claims as failing to provide a service that you paid for but this requires a paper trail, if you did not complain in writing they will claim that you either couldn't cope with the work load or you were just lazy and stopped attending.

A word of warning - universities are vicious when recovering academic debts.

[Delta-NC]

In a word, no I didn't ever put anything in writing. Though I did complain to the support services a few times about the fact that nobody would watch my honors project. I expect the endowment will be scrapped however. Both the SNP and Lib Dems support it.

I'm just going to too see if my Uni will get back to me saying I can write it off now, to be on the safe side. My education was all SAAS funded.

As far as a paper trail goes, I think top grades at College to 40's at Uni say a lot about the place, but I dont think that counts

[GlasweJen]

In a word, no I didn't ever put anything in writing. Though I did complain to the support services a few times about the fact that nobody would watch my honors project do you know if the support services made a note of this on your file? If so you could request it. I expect the endowment will be scrapped however. Both the SNP and Lib Dems support it. Yeah we've been told it's as good as gone so that's not much to worry about

I'm just going to too see if my Uni will get back to me saying I can write it off now, to be on the safe side Uni's aren't the most generous of establishments but in this case they might knowing it's likely to be scrapped anyway. My education was all SAAS funded. Got to love SAAS!

As far as a paper trail goes, I think top grades at College to 40's at Uni say a lot about the place, but I dont think that counts Probably not unless you can find someone else in the same/similar boat who also puts it down to teaching quality

[Delta-NC]

I see you're in Edinburgh. Dont suppose your Uni shares it's name with a city in New Zealand does it? If so, I hope you're not doing IT

[GlasweJen]

I do indeed the place where logarithms were discovered (and we have the tower to prove it). Fortunately I am not on IT, I'm doing toxicology but it is my degree that is disappearing in the other thread. In that case you can try talking to ISAS at number 10 cos they know everything and they don't care what the uni think about most matters.

[Delta-NC]

Ahh I know your pain. The course I was on at Uni was "Software Technology" which is effectively "Software Engineering" except they made the course up for us.

We where at a College that had a tie-in with a local university campus, who decided one week into our second year that they wouldn't take us for our third year anymore.

The "Software Technology" course at Uni was basically made up of groups of people from about 4 different colleges who where all looking to enter a third year of a Software related course.

[GlasweJen]

The big white college beside our campus in the ghetto by any chance? I've heard of those links going wrong, usually college credits not being adequate to transfer. I've just been told that they're "streamlining" and there's no place for me. Oh the banter.

[Delta-NC]

Nahh, I'm originally from the Dumfries area. Had to move to Edinburgh to finish my course.

[Hippy-chick]

Yup - I fear Jen is right here. Did you terminate your agreement with the Uni? As, if not, I fear you are liable.