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A Chinese student who was tortured and murdered along with his girlfriend may have lied about his qualifications to get into university, police have said. Zhen Xing Yang and girlfriend Xi Zhou died after a "frenzied" knife attack at a flat in Newcastle's West End. Police believe the pair, both 25, were involved in a betting scam, which may have been a motive for their murders. Officers are now investigating whether Mr Zhen forged documents to enrol on a masters course at Newcastle University. Police are in telephone contact with the couple's families and are trying to speed up Visa applications so they can come to the UK. Police said Mr Zhen dropped out of a Cardiff University undergraduate degree course in 2005. A university spokesperson said: "Cardiff University can confirm that Zhen Xing Yang, born 1 February, 1983, attended Cardiff Business School from 2004-5.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 17 August 2008, 17:46 GMT

Money worries are turning the traditional gap year into more like the gap half-year, according to a survey. The economic concerns are leading to a cutback in the amount of time British students stay abroad, the survey by social website Bebo found. The financial difficulties also mean students visiting countries thought of as dangerous in order to make their money go further. Some travellers even lie to their parents about their actual whereabouts to avoid them worrying. The survey. of 2,00 British students and post-graduates, also showed that solo trips are on the rise as is the age of those taking gap-year breaks. The survey revealed available funds are the key factor for gap-year travellers, with 63% were planning to be away for a maximum of six months, and only 14% intending a full-year trip. Average spending is around £4,000 with 40% trying to make do with forking out £1,000 to £3,000, the study found.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 18 August 2008, 12:19 GMT

MANY university students are unaware of the way the tax system works and are unknowingly overpaying money to the Government, says a specialist website. The warning comes as hundreds of thousands of students prepare to spend their first term at university and others go back after the holidays, many of them having worked during that time. A recent study by NatWest showed that nearly half the student population will be juggling their studies with part-time work in the evenings or weekends when the new academic year starts in a few weeks time and that they will earn a total of £2bn. Others will work during holidays, particularly around Christmas and new year when extra cash comes in very handy for presents and celebrations, and on placement. But independent website Student Tax Services (STS) says there are ways in which graduates and undergraduates, unaware of the system involved, can keep more of the hard-earned cash in their pockets rather than hand it over to the Treasury.
Submitted by Unies Mirza - submitted 19 August 2008, 10:57 GMT

Record numbers of people have accepted university places through Clearing this year, according to official statistics. Despite the race for a university place slowing, 1,355 more people have accepted places since Friday. According to the latest figures from Ucas, published yesterday, 4,767 students have gained places through the Clearing system – up from 3,392 on Friday and 4,448 this time last year. In total, 361,760 students have now accepted places at university, which compares with 333,174 the same time last year. This means roughly the same percentage of total candidates have accepted places through the clearing system at this stage compared with last year – 1.32% compared with 1.34% in 2007. However, a sizeable number – 68,561 – are waiting for a decision from their chosen institution or are still deciding where to go, compared with 60,091 four days after results were given out in 2007. Ucas is due to publish tomorrow a breakdown of what subjects students are applying to study at university.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 19 August 2008, 11:56 GMT

You said politicians are entitled to a past private live ( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/nick-clegg-you-ask-the-questions-402603.html ) . Do you believe students should be judged on their past criminal records when it comes to universities considering their applications?

Nick Clegg says : Broadly, no. If someone’s made a mistake – and then turned their life around and moved on, we need to make it possible for them to have a clean slate. Otherwise someone can get condemned to a life of crime thanks to one mistake as a teenager. We have a system under the Rehabilitiation of Offenders Act where crimes get “spent” after a certain amount of time and you don’t have to disclose them any more. That system needs reform – proposals to change it were put forward in 2000, but the government’s done nothing about it. I’d put the changes into effect – and make sure it applied to university applicants too. That way a recent spate of serious crimes could affect your application, but a mistake a few years ago wouldn’t. That seems fair to me.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 19 August 2008, 22:24 GMT

A sports-mad Blackpool student may never walk again after breaking his neck in a horror fall in Thailand. Dominic Chadwick, 22, fell from a walkway leading to the Hilton Hotel, in the popular tourist destination Phuket, last Tuesday. Medics fear that Dominic may be paralysed for the rest of his life after the accident, which happened while he was on holiday with his girlfriend Alex. Dominic's mother Jane and two older brothers, James and Andrew, have flown out to be at his side in hospital in Bangkok. The student planned to return to Edge Hill University, in Ormskirk, when he returned, to retake the final year of his sports science course.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 20 August 2008, 11:57 GMT

A MATURE student claimed benefits without disclosing she received a loan and grant for her studies. Lisa Price, 31, of Victoria Street, Tonypandy, admitted three counts of failing to inform the Department of Work and Pensions of her change in circumstances when she appeared at Cardiff Crown Court. Last week, the Department took the single mother to court and she was given a 16-week jail sentence suspended for two years. Judge John Curran also sentenced her to 100 hours’ unpaid work and ordered that she pay £250 in costs. Price, who now works as a care worker, received over £5,500 to which she was not entitled in income support, housing benefit and council tax. At the time of the offences she was studying a course in health sciences at the University of Glamorgan. Alex Greenwood, defending, said Price previously had ambitions to become a nurse. “She had enrolled in a foundation course,” he said. “Part of her course involved her being enrolled as a bank nurse.”
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 20 August 2008, 19:16 GMT

One of the two French students murdered in a frenzied knife attack in London in June was due to be buried in the northern French city of Amiens later Wednesday, his mother said. "We didn't want our son to depart anonymously but we don't want the press to attend the ceremony," Francoise Villmont, the mother of 23-year-old Gabriel Ferez, told AFP. Ferez was from the village of Prouzel near Amiens. The second student, Laurent Bonomo, was cremated Monday near his home village of Velaux in the southern Provence region. The biochemistry students, both 23 and on an exchange from their university in Clermont-Ferrand, central France, were found June 29 in Bonomo's south London apartment bound, repeatedly stabbed in the head, neck, torso and back and their bodies burnt. They had been due to return home in July.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 20 August 2008, 19:17 GMT

Students heading to university this year will have to find £127.40 more than they did last year for their first year grocery shopping bill, according to research from Abbey Banking. The research asked current students which items of food they bought on a weekly basis from the Office of National Statistics Consumer Price Index or "basket of goods", the tool used to measure inflation, then calculated the weekly and yearly increase in costs. Amongst the top 10 student items were staples such as bread, cereals and dairy products, all items that have been seriously affected by steadily climbing food prices. Breads and cereals, for example, have risen 13.7 per cent in price over the past year while dairy products have experienced a 19 per cent rise. Student spending on grocery shopping was relatively modest at an estimated £24.50 a week or £3.50 a day, but this excludes items of food such as sandwiches bought outside of weekly trips to the supermarket.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 20 August 2008, 19:18 GMT

With A-Level results out, students can now begin gearing up for university. With the decision of what to do and where to go now out of the way, it is time to think about the practical details, including a bank account and insurance. Sarah Routledge looks at protecting yourself in academia. Fortunately, the student market is highly-sought after as people tend to stick with the same companies for life, so firms are falling over themselves to tempt those heading off to university. Advice on choosing the best bank account can be found here. A bank account is not the only financial consideration. Unfortunately, as freshers who have friends or relatives at university may already know, students are a major target for crime. Thomas Causebrook, 21, a student at Sheffield University, had a crime-free three years but found himself targeted on the last night.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 20 August 2008, 19:20 GMT

The family of a student who died after waiting 42 minutes for an ambulance blamed the 'disgraceful' delay for her death. Rebecca Wedd, 23, was hit by a silver BMW as she walked with a group of college friends to her summer ball. Police arrived at the scene in seven minutes, but it was almost three-quarters of an hour after the 999 call when paramedics finally appeared. The national target for answering such a call is eight minutes. Miss Wedd was flown by air ambulance to a nearby hospital but died of her injuries the following day. Her distraught father, Peter Wedd, 53, spoke of his anguish yesterday after a damning report condemned the NHS Trust involved. He said: 'My daughter's death has been a nightmare for our family and I would not want anyone else to suffer like we have. 'I believe that if an ambulance had arrived within a reasonable timeframe, my daughter could be with us today. Instead we have had to live through this nightmare.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 12:11 GMT

The name of a Liverpool university has been used in an internet scam. About 15 students in Nigeria have been sent fraudulent degree offer letters purporting to be from Liverpool Hope University. The bogus educational and scholarship agencies have then asked the applicants for non-refundable acceptance fees. The university was alerted to the scam when several students got in touch who had paid their fees but not heard anything more about their places. A spokesperson for Liverpool Hope has warned prospective students to use an officially appointed university agent. It reminded prospective students that applications for university programmes are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), or through official university application forms, either online or paper.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 12:15 GMT

So many parents have been chasing university places for their children that the admissions system is now letting parents act as their agents. Students entering university this autumn will be the first whose admissions decisions and negotiations can be handled by their parents. In the past, the admissions service had to deal directly with applicants. Parents have also been expecting to sit in on their children's university interviews, says academic Frank Furedi. Universities are facing the growing phenomenon of "helicopter parents" - the over-involved parents who want to continue interfering in the lives of their children at university.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 12:16 GMT

Pupils achieved record results in their GSCE exams on Thursday, with one in five of all papers being awarded top A* or A grades, as the row over "easy" subjects grew. total of 65.7 percent of exams achieved grades A*-C, up 2.4 percent from the previous year, while 20.7 percent were marked at the top two grades, up 1.2 percent. That was despite a fall in the number of exam entries to the lowest level for five years. "Once again, we have seen a welcome increase in results at GCSE despite the lowest entry for five years," said Jim Sinclair, Director of the Joint Council for Qualifications. "This is evidence of the hard work of the students and the continued dedication of their teachers." Performances in English and maths improved, with the numbers achieving A*-C grades up 0.7 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. There was a large increase in the number of candidates sitting exams in separate science subjects, physics, chemistry and biology.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 20:15 GMT

A law student who stabbed to death a doctor who became a mother figure to him after saving his sister's life has been jailed for life. David Quartey, 22, stabbed Victoria Anyetei - whom he called "mum" - 56 times in a frenzied attack on her driveway in August last year because he feared she was about to tell his family he had failed his exams. Judge Jeremy Carey said Quartey was a "highly dangerous young man" who brutally murdered his guardian in a fit of uncontrollable rage as she sat in her car on the driveway outside her home in Dartford, Kent. Quartey only knew the consultant paediatrician because she had saved the life of his baby sister in his native Ghana. The judge said the most sinister part of the murder was the cool and calculated way Quartey had set about covering his tracks
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 20:28 GMT

A law student who stabbed his guardian 56 times because she had pressured him to resit his failed exams was jailed for life yesterday. David Quartey, 22, was convicted of murdering Victoria Anyetei, 54, in a “frenzied attack of enormous brutality” as she waited in her car to take him to college for extra tuition. The student, the son of a High Court judge in his native Ghana, had spent the weeks before the killing lying to Dr Anyetei about failing three of his six law exams. It was on the morning of August 14 last year, after Dr Anyetei had found out his results and was preparing to inform Quartey's parents, that the student turned on the doctor he called “mum”.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 21 August 2008, 20:30 GMT

Students face average outgoings of nearly £200 a week, with accommodation their single biggest cost, research showed. The average person spends £183.80 a week while they are studying at university, according to Halifax. Accommodation is the biggest cost students face at an average of nearly £75 a week, followed by food at £38.60, including £6.40 that is spent on takeaways. But students also splash out an average of nearly £20 a week on alcohol, with £15.60 of this spent drinking in pubs and bars, while they pay around £1.70 a week for cigarettes. Just over £14 a week goes on transport costs, while utility bills set them back by around £12.50 a week. But while students spend an average of £12.30 on leisure and social activities each week, just £9.40 goes on books and equipment they need for their course
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:47 GMT

Parents fearful that their offspring will fail to eat properly when they head off to university are being offered a new "student meal ticket". The new innovation from Sainsbury's allows parents to add money which their child can then spend on food and other essentials at stores across the country. The first of its kind in the UK, the "student meal ticket" aims to give parents peace of mind. They can top it up, in store, online or by calling a helpline number with anything from £1 to £750 at any time. The credit card sized ticket comes in two halves, one kept by the parent and other is given to the student. The meal ticket can also be used in Sainsbury's coffee shops and petrol stations, and to buy not just groceries but other items such as cutlery, crockery and bedding. Sainsbury's Gift Card Manager Yvonne West, said: "Parents are always a little concerned that their children will not eat well whilst away at university.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:48 GMT

ESTATE agents are encouraging landlords to buy up terraced houses to cash in on the student lettings market. Lincoln is one of the best places for property investors with rich pickings according to a new survey. With the proliferation of purpose-built student blocks – most of which provide computer access, widescreen satellite TV, dishwashers and other mod cons – the traditional 'student house' is diminishing in popularity. But the latest survey by property experts Paragon Mortgages puts Lincoln in the top 25 per cent of cities for student landlords who want to make a fast buck. Their survey is endorsed by some estate agents, who think investing in student-type housing is still a money-spinner. "It is still possible to get loans of up to 85 per cent of the property value and with sensible interest rates and the recent downturn in prices, it means student housing is eminently affordable," said Tim Downing, senior partner with Pygott and Crone.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:49 GMT

Police investigating the murders of two Chinese students in Newcastle are hunting for the 'Mr Big' who controlled a football betting scam they were involved in. Xi Zhou and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, suffered horrific head injuries in their flat in Newcastle's West End earlier this month. Internet users on UK-based Mandarin websites have identified Mr Yang as a recruitment agent for a gambling racket which relied on the results of live Premier League football games being shown a couple of minutes later in China to beat the bookmakers. His girlfriend, Miss Zhou, was a commentator for the scam and attended a pre-season friendly between Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven earlier this month, police revealed.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:52 GMT

University College London has overtaken its rival Imperial in the most highly rated world rankings of universities. UCL climbed three places to 22nd in the annual international rankings published last week by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. In a statement UCL said the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's latest annual academic rankings of world universities indicates that UCL's place among the world's leading universities "has risen again". UCL president and provost professor Malcolm Grant said: "These new rankings confirm UCL's strengths – and steady improvement - on the global stage. We know that the UCL community conducts excellent research and teaching, but it is their commitment to applying that excellence to the world's major problems that make us London's global university." Imperial dropped from 23 last year to 27th in the 2008 tables. The tables are dominated by the US universities, with Harvard ranked top in the world, but UK universities continue to be among the best, with five institutions, including UCL and the universities of Manchester and Bristol, improving their international positions on last year. The UK has 11 universities in the world's top 100 - the second highest number after the US with 54. The universities of Cambridge and Oxford have maintained their 2007 positions of fourth and tenth in the world respectively.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:55 GMT

Poorer students will be even more limited in their choice of university if tuition fees rise as a result of next year's government review of variable fees, research suggests. The government is due to review the first three years of variable tuition fees in 2009, which critics worry will lead to an increase in the current £3,145 cap on what universities can charge each year, or its removal. Research published in this month's edition of the journal Studies in Higher Education, students from poorer backgrounds are more likely to worry about getting in debt by going to university, and choose institutions near the family home that offer opportunities for term-time work. However, debt aversion has little impact on what qualification students choose to study, the researchers found.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 9:58 GMT

Straight from the horse's mouth, students and ex-students chat about how they got into uni using Clearing. 'I hadn’t thought of going up north before’ Stephanie Tritton was forced to hunt for an alternative course after missing the grades she needed to read music at Exeter. She was so impressed with the enthusiasm of staff running a similar degree at the University of Hull that she snapped up a place when they offered her one – even sticking with it when her original first choice changed its mind and accepted her after all. “Exeter wanted BBC and I got BDE, so my headmaster contacted them and pleaded with them to give me a place,” recalls Stephanie, now 25 and studying for a doctorate in 17th-century English music publishing at Manchester. “It would have been stupid to wait while they thought about it, because places go quickly through Clearing, so I got onto Hull and was put through to someone in the department, who asked me some questions and said I could have a place.
Submitted by ukstudentnews.co.uk - submitted 23 August 2008, 10:06 GMT

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