Travelling to college fees paid?

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Nessa Harbottle — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:14:14 GMT

I would echo Alice’s last point. It’s worth trying and asking for this to be changed. I wish you luck and if they do agree to pay travel expenses then that’s great but equally I would say to your students, not to get their hopes up.

Interesting to know the outcome of this

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Alice Weaver — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:53:02 GMT

I work for Medivet and the students I support are currently attending College of Animal Welfare. When they start they are given the option of physically attending or being a virtual student- which I think is one of the good things that has come out of lockdown for students who want this option. Our students don’t get their travel reimbursed, but half of them have zero travel costs and it’s not that far to travel for the ones that do.

I say this with trepidation, because I don’t want to sound like I’m saying ‘in my day I did X and I turned out fine!’! But when I was training (I’ve been qualified 5 years) I was expected to go to work to open the practice and work a few hours, then travel to the college (which was further away than the current college we use), and then be at college until 7pm and then travel home. This made for often an 11+ hour day. And I needed to pay into a pot of money towards my college fees that came out of my salary, and I didn’t get my travel reimbursed. Also- half term schmalf term- if college wasn’t running I went to work. And if I had an exam I went to college for the exam then went to work. And worked all through the Summer/Christmas/Easter breaks. The students now don’t need to pay for college or attend work on their college days or work their college days when there is a half term. And because our employer is so large, it is the employer that fits the bill- not the government.

I think it really does depend on the individual circumstances! Occasionally some students have made some noises about having travel to college reimbursed- I’ve got to be honest and say I am almost certain they don’t but I’m not sure whether they do or not. And I don’t know what our employer would say as they are footing the bill for all the college fees, and to be fair to them nearly always bend their ‘rules’ for how many re-sits or how much time they would pay for college for students who take longer to finish.

I don’t really know what the answer is! But with your students’ circumstances I don’t see why you couldn’t at least ask or use petty cash (!!!) to reimburse the travel?! But in a nutshell I work for a similarly-large employer as you and they do not reimburse travel for students based in London and attending college in North London.

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Michelle Richmond — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:16:21 GMT

Interesting the divide on paying for travel - A SVN on a low salary receiving government funding for training in my view should be offered some contribution for travel fees - No different to a vet on a much higher salary attending CPD for a certificate, still being paid despite not being present in a practice and loosing revenue along with the usual RCVS fees travelling greater distances for CPD once month? This is the closest college for her... She has mentioned that many other students do get paid travel costs so it does happen still in some practices...

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Selena Carnell — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 22:57:09 GMT

I've never known a practice pay for travel costs (in over 20+ yrs) we currently have two students attending day college an hour away and we do not pay travel costs, the practice is already paying their apprenticeship fees, registration fees, college fees, plus still being paid whilst at college.

I dont think you will get much luck with travel costs, did you choose the college or the practice?

I know some places will pay for traveling to CPD.

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Michelle Richmond — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 21:43:08 GMT

Thanks Nessa... Wow! My experience has been the opposite- all practices and nursing teams I have lead, have had the travel costs reimbursed, this is the only practice in my 30year history that has not paid... No closer colleges sadly, all further away... Thank you

RE: Travelling to college fees paid?

Nessa Harbottle — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:51:33 GMT

Hi Michelle

This is quite normal as far as I’m aware. I have never worked in a practice that pays for travel expenses for their students and I am not aware of any practices that do.

I know it might feel unfair but I think you will struggle to put a case across especially with the cost of living crisis. Is there a college that is closer that you could go to?