University tuition fees set to rise again

She's only doing GCSE's currently

Actually, I didn't know that you don't have to pay Uni fees upfront; interesting point tbf.
My ignorance may have got the better of me.

In that case she probably will be able to afford it. She and I both presumed fees would be paid upfront.

"I don't need an argument" oh dear what a joke.

I don't know why you seem to doubt this, a rise in price will lead to a fall in demand. And yes, just because university numbers increased does not mean many people have not been discouraged, all sorts of factors such as increased requirements in the job market for a degree, a rise in the quality of UK universities and more international students all have caused this. Your very "fact" is fundamentally flawed, just because numbers have risen, is it acceptable for those less able to be barred from attending? Should the ones who can go be some of given the largest debts (higher than the US) for students in the world?

You've clearly shown that you are an idiot, and I have better things to do, as entertaining as you might be.

but why shouldn't it be free?

Getting education from a school is free; why should unis be any different?

Absolutely shameful, given that our universities are already the most expensive in Europe and amongst the most expensive in the world. Other developed countries are more than capable of making higher education available to everyone without saddling them with an absurd amount of debt, it's an outrage that we refuse to do the same.

This will just encourage more students to study abroad, where they can access just as high quality an education without the huge costs.

UK universities are the best in Europe by a country mile.
Regardless, the current system is highly progressive. The burden has been shifted on to high earning graduates and away from low earning graduates and people who don't even attend university. Who cares what the rest of Europe does, how on Earth is our system bad?
Christ, it always makes me chuckle seeing self-proclaimed progressive liberal students acting so self-entitled and selfish when comes to university.

Because school is more or less compulsory. Teachers have to put up with pupils that couldn't care less, who wouldn't pay anyway. Besides, I still believe that teachers are paid way too little for what they teach, but that's a whole different story.

Whereas university is further education- we who study in further education wish to make something of our lives, and if paying is a way of succeeding, then so be it.

If we have a student finance system where you don't have to pay anything upfront (only after you earn over a certain amount) AND poorer students actually get more help from it (higher maintenance loan) then please tell me how poor student will be deterred from going to university?

I am personally on free school meals and our household income is very low but this September I will be going to Exeter Uni. I was not deterred and I am a self-proclaimed 'poor' student. In fact I didn't think twice about going to university or not, and I have not heard one of friends say they won't be going to university because it is too expensive either. As another user said the demand for a degree depends on elasticity and in this case it is inelastic. That means a large increase in a price will have a less than proportionate effect on demand. This is also evident if you look at student numbers when fees have been increased in the past.



Because you benefit more from a degree than society does. Secondary education is different because society would benefit a lot from you having a basic level of maths, science and english. However, society would not benefit much if you suddenly know how the criticisms of Marx's communist manifesto.

Plus where will the money come from? And if we have a very good finance system for higher education, why shouldn't the student pay?

Firstly, no they aren't. Okay, we've got a load of universities in the top 10 but as far as the vast majority of undergraduates are concerned, their education would be no worse in Germany or France or the Netherlands as it would be in the UK.

Secondly, there is absolutely nothing self-entitled about expecting affordable university education. I am fed up of this society-hating mantra. The whole point of a society is to use collective resources for the greater good. It's not "self-entitlement" to make a higher quality of life available for the masses, that's called societal development. You (hopefully) don't call people self-entitled when they demand healthcare free at the point of use or free state education up until secondary level, so I don't understand why it's suddenly outrageous to expect society to heavily subsidise the education of young adults, who are gaining valuable skills which will ultimately be used for the good of everyone, not just themselves. If university education was an investment that benefits you, and you alone, of course we'd expect individuals to finance it themselves. But it's not. A highly educated population should be a goal for everyone so it makes absolute sense for any society interested in development to make higher education either free, or inexpensive.

In what other walk of life do you get something for nothing?

Yes, of course they are. You can't have a situation where the UK has a significant plurality of universities in the top 10, 20, 50, 100 etc. in Europe but claim it's no better than on the continent.
What's unaffordable about paying nothing upfront, nothing in repayments and nothing in interest until you graduate and earn £21k, after which you pay a measly 9% on everything over that threshold? How is that unaffordable?
University is free at the point of use and the burden is firmly on those that benefit the most from it. That's socially progressive.
It's absolutely self-entitlement to complain about having to pay essentially a means tested graduate tax.