250Kts
You're living on a different planet. You're right in the fact that you can't do this job purely for the money. However, you also can't survive at the college on 10k. The college is very intense and can be very stressful. To bond with your course, and to relax, which i feel is essential to get through, means going out every now and then with your course mates. On that wage, you wont be able to afford to do anything but work. I wouldn't have got through and validated in that situation. In fact, most of my course wouldn't have.
We may well be saving money, but i believe the pass rate at the college will unbelieveably go down even further than the pathetic figure it's at at the moment. This lower pay will not attract the right people.