Maybe you've already heard it was suggested and even recommended that the UK government increases university tuition fees. Do you agree with that? Should all universities have the same tuition fees? If not, what's the criteria for estimating the rates?
There are a lot of international students who pay a lot more money than the home or EU students. Should it be like that? What's the situation in your country?
I believe that all students have to be charged the same amount for their studies, irrelevant of their geographical location.
ReplyDeleteI still don't understand why Non-EU students have to pay so much compared to other EU students who get the same education and when all are treated same at the university. I guess government should interfere and do something about this while increasing the fees. There should be some change in favour of everyone I think. Last but not the least, UK goverment should remember that the hike must not ruin the education quality and won't discourage NON-EU students to come to UK for higher education.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it's because universities seek more money to finance themselves and having more non-EU students is a great benefit. A lot of universities have recently increased their number of overseas students because the government gave them less money than usual and universities have somehow to keep up with the pace. Do you think all universities should charge the same amount of money? For instance, should a student from Oxford pay more money than a student from a lower rank university?
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea for higher University fees is wrong. It is one thing, if Universities don't have enough money, but quite different if this is done for higher profit.
ReplyDeleteHigher fees mean that less local students (UK and EU) will be able to afford studying at University.
In my oppinion, the rates should be different for different Universities. We have market economy in the UK, so if Oxford and Cambridge are the best, they deserve the right to have very high fees, because this will secure extra income without compromising the quality of the students. The top Universities worldwide have proven that they invest money quite wisely (top equipment and the very best lecturers), so this is a good strategy.
From financial point of view, universal rate for all Universities would be very damaging for the not so famous educational institututions. If the price is the same, most foreign students will try to get into the top 5 British Universities, and if they can't, then they will try Germany, France, etc.
The higher education in Germany is particularly cheaper and there are many courses taught in English, so the UK could lose its attractiveness as a country renowned for its higher education.
It is very unfair that the non-EU students must pay up to 3 times more than us. However, effectively, they are subsiding our education. If their fees were lower, then we would have to pay more. I am a good person, but not that good, so I'd rather keep the present system.
ABSOLUTELY NOT, FUCKIN GOVERNMENT DOUCHEBAGS
ReplyDeleteIn Bulgaria, the international student taxes are bigger than ours...so, it`s fair:)
ReplyDeleteMaria, you know - mind over money, money over mind :)
Students rarely know what it actually costs to deliver their education. Overseas students get charged what it costs. UK and EU students get a subsidised price, supported by the taxpayer, who is getting the benefits of having a more skilled labour force. Overseas students take the education and go home- so don't end up contributing to the economy. So that's why they have to pay the full fee. In the USA, everyone pays what it actually costs. If it costs more to deliver a Harvard or Yale degree, then this is why it costs more. If you can't afford Gucci, then you buy something else that you can afford.
ReplyDeleteI think that education should not be a privilege that only rich can afford, saying that I also do believe that students have to earn their way in university...
ReplyDeleteI have a mixed view on this topic.... I dont think that tuition fees should rise as they are expensive enough as it is for both UK payers and overseas students too. But i can also see why the set up in the USA is how it is, and i dont think thats a bad thing. I think that its completely fair enough for those universities such as Harvard and Yale, and in the UK it would be Oxford and Cambridge, to charge more than what lower-ranked universities would. As Catherine said, if you can't afford it... you find something that you can afford. It's just the way of life! x
ReplyDeletetuition fees should be the same for everyone , because everobody has the right to become the education that he/she wants. We are all the same!
ReplyDeleteNo limits but the sky...:)
The outgoing processes of globalization and urbanization contributed to the massive increase of the proportion of population willing to take up a higher education. Higher education became a necessary requirement for achieving a decent living standard. The massive demand which increases supply with about 100,000 applicants in the UK pushed the costs of running the higher educational system of the roof.
ReplyDeleteIn times of a surging budget deficit and austerity the educational system could not be spared from cuts. Nevertheless, the government needs to be sensitive as it has already caused public outrage. The cuts should be adequate in order to preserve the thousand of jobs within the system and prevent universities from closures.
The current system of granting Home/EU students taxpayer funding is certain to lead the educational system to bankruptcy. Home students pay less than half of the true value of their studies - currently tuition fees stand at £3290 which the real costs amount to £6500-£7000. The Westminster authorities did not manage to clos the taxpayer funded gap by charging overseas students. An equilibrium could only be achieved if the proportion of overseas students is higher than the proportion of home ones, which is practically impossible. Increase in the tuition fees is inevitable in order to secure the prevention of the bust of the higher educational system.
Westminster did not took the decision to raise the tuition fees in the most fair way. It was not communicated properly, either. To start with the decision - Universities will be allowed to charge up to £9,000, but which universities? Would bottom universities dare to charge such a fee which would push them deeply in the red...no! Is it also right to let Cambridge and bottom universities charge the same amount of tuition fees...hardly. Wouldn't that large range of fees - up to £9000 - create a ground for price competition? Bottom universities could be reluctant to raise the fees in order to remain competitive in attracting students and avoid bankruptcy. The government could have specified specifical levels of fees and an explicit level minimum fee which could be charged by universities in relation to their prestige. It would have been reasonable to let the Top 30 Universities charge up to £9000 with a low range of £6000. Such a solution would keep the demand and contribute to the overcoming of the budget deficit at the same time. Lower ranged universities could be allowed to charge fees ranging from £4,500 to £6,000. While universites in the lowest quartile (beyond top 100 of the Times Good University Guide) could be set a fixed tuition fee of £4,500.
The greates incentive behind devising such a three-tier system would be to allow lower-income families to send their children to univerisiteis which could match their disposable income. Such a system could be criticized on promoting inequality, but in the end of the day higher education is not guaranteed constituionally. Thus, it becomes a product for those who can afford it...as most things in life are. We all live within the boundaries of what we are able to afford.
The revolutionary times of self-made people are gone for good! Thus higher education became a luxury product which is needed to build competitiveness. Governments need to take the necessary steps in a responsible way in order to preserve this product and the benefits it delivers as well as the thousands of jobs. The increase in UK tuition fees was inevitable but was done in an insane and opaque way. A matter remains unresolved - is the price of education so elastic to go up to £9,000 - certainly yes for Oxford, but what about the rest? Would there be a price competition erupting between universities? The coalition needs to get into detail and to apply further improvements as the three tier system proposed!
Overseas students should carry on paying the full cost of their studies. It is not fair to the EU taxpayer to fund students whose families do not contribute to the EU budget with its taxes. As long as demand for higher education outstrips supply and is extremely essential then it could be classified as a luxury product. Overseas students who are not able to afford to pay for the product and then export it outside the EU could simply switch to lower costs EU countries. Tuition fees in plenty of countries are disproportionately low in an attemp to attract a high pool of funds and mostly to conceal youth unemployment. Examples - Italy and Spain. Those countries will be happy to shelter the willing!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, Kaloyan! That was a very in-depth comment! The increase of tuition fees is a necessity but the government certainly didn't communicate it properly and now I'm wondering how it's gonna do it? There's a massive outrage and I think the tuition fees increase should be introduced step by step - not all at once because it's scary and a bit too much! I know there were surveys distributed to students and all this was expected but most people weren't really aware.
ReplyDelete