Why are low tuition fees possible in Europe but not in the UK?

Higher taxes.

Germany?

However they also have either no or next to no income tax. It balances out.

Absolutely right - we do have the best universities in Europe

However they also have either no or next to no income tax. It balances out.

I don't understand how Finland only has 17% income tax yet still manages to have free universities

What about graduate medics? You'll find that we do, actually.

Aye, but it's your choice to spend a decade becoming a doctor when you already have a degree. The state can't fund degree after degree.

Anyway, the real reason is that we have a European welfare system on American taxes -- except soon we'll have a bloody American system.

Look. I'm happy to plunge into debt to retrain as a doctor. It's a good steady career and the debt would ultimately be low-risk and eventually paid off.

The issue I'm having here, is the fact that grad medics are required to pay their fees UP-FRONT. We don't get any kind of credit and students are having to resort to taking out very expensive high-street loans to do so.

These proposed changes clearly have not considered this and have subsequently failed to put any provisions in place. Take the 5 year course for example, coughing up 4x £3k upfront each year is feasible. Even WITH a £20k bank loan, paying £12k upfront is not. Simple as.

Again, to receive a tuition loan of some sort would be wise. This is a group of students who will have the highest graduate salary and employment rate. These students CAN affort the debt. However, this credit is not available and they are expected to pay up-front. With a 4x increase in fee price, this is no longer possible for the majority.

Personally, harsh as it may be, I don't see ELQ-funding as a high priority; the govt. should focus on those without a degree, not those who believe that their degree was in the wrong area. After all, one could train as a doctor and then decide that it's not for them and get a lower paid job, thereby costing the state.

Pretty much everywhere in Europe, going to uni is free or nearly free.
Why is that? What makes British universities so much more expensive?

I won't deny that the UK might have the best unis in Europe due to these high tuition fees, but there are some pretty good unis on the continent as well, which don't need a £6,000 tuition fee (and no £3,290 tuition fee either).

£3,290 is already quite high compared to the rest of Europe. Why raise it? The UK isn't the only country with financial problems, but seems to be the only country that has to take dramatic measures.

Yes, but interview any swede and ask them what they think of their income tax, and the vast, vast majority of them are happy about it.

Why?

Because they see that money going back into their communities. Sweden has an excellent education system, an excellent infrastructure, excellent public services, excellent healthcare, etc, etc, etc, and the reason they have all that is because the government is sensible about what it does with tax revenue, and everybody who lives in Sweden sees the evidence of sensible public spending every day of their lives.

In this country we see a trivial amount of public benefit for a non-trivial amount of public spending.

I wouldn't mind paying Swedish tax rates in exchange for a government that works as sensibly as the Swedish government.

Blame new labour.