Tuition fees

I found an interesting list comparing tuition fees across the world.  (Sorry, it's in pounds.)  Almost every country has different limits, and almost every country has nationalized education -- only the US has a thriving private sector.  In the UK, there are only 2 private universities, and they aren't Oxford or Cambridge.  (One is the University of Buckingham, the other is BPP--and I don't know what that stands for.)

Most European countries have to offer the same terms to students from anywhere in the EU -- a marked contrast to the public universities in the US, which only offer discounted admission to students from that particular state.  Almost all universities have higher fees for international students.  This isn't a comprehensive list -- there are just too many variables to consider -- but I think it gives a good idea of the overall landscape.

• Finland, Sweden and Norway: No fees for home or EU students.
• France: No charges, enrolment is £145.
• Belgium: No tuition fees but an enrolment charge of £438.
• Germany: £845 a year, some universities do not charge.
• Ireland: Trinity College, Dublin, £1,454 a year. £10,500 for international students. EU students pay £800 registration fee.
• Scotland: First degrees from £1,820 a year.
• China: Up to £2,500
• US: From £3,200 to £19,000.
• Holland: Students of departments such as business schools charged up to £4,400. Graduate schools have tuition fees as high as £7,000.
• Canada: £5,600 - £9,400.
• Australia: Most degrees - both undergraduate and postgraduate - are £6,200 to £12,500 a year.
• Japan: Undergraduate course fees are on average £6,200 a year.

Personally, I think everyone can agree that higher education is a necessary requisite to support a healthy economy.  What I find so odd is that so many countries are happy to accept international students to train them, but then kick them out as soon as they've graduated.  While they may have captured a few thousand dollars in revenue, think about how much they just lost in terms of intellectual capital.

Some people argue that fees are necessary in order for people to value education--which I think is nonsense.  How many private college students are working part-time jobs so they can afford the average $38,000/year tuition?  There some people today who argue that college no longer provides a cost-benefit -- that is, you'd be better off going straight into the workforce than you would going to a 4-year college and getting a better job, but spending most of that money paying off your student debt.

I'd also argue that college should be meritorious -- that is, based on ability, not how much your family can afford to pay.  (I know I have the wrong word there, but can't think of the right one at the moment.)  Too many good students are passed over because of their parents pocketbooks.  And certainly Oxford and Cambridge prove that higher fees do not make a better college -- they charge the same as every other university in the UK.

While I'm not saying we should nationalize education, I am saying that the tuition fee rises of the last 10 years are unsustainable, and as a whole we need to look at the effect this will have on the future of the country.  Because if we don't, the world in 20 years is going to look very different than today.

And this isn't a problem that's about to occur, it has occurred:

- The US had the highest proportion of students who graduated from college, about 33 percent.  In 2000, the US slipped to fourth place, with Today, Norway, Britain, and the Netherlands are at 35-37 percent.

- In 1998, the United States trailed 22 other countries in the number of students graduating from high school.

- And this shouldn't surprise anyone: The United States pays teachers less per capita than all but three other countries surveyed, and teachers work 300 hours longer than average.

(From the Boston Globe, May 17, 2000)

Fortunately, China produces some 20 million graduates per year, and about 7 million emigrate to other countries, many to the US.  That helps, but it also isn't sustainable.  At some point, the Chinese economy will surpass the US, and there will be a brain drain of epic proportions.

Think about it.