The standard of UK education is high enough to attract students from all over the world. UK universities not only promise a prestigious lifestyle, but the education here is also of high value, which consists of independent learning and thoroughly researched facts.
In recent years, debates have arisen against the rising inflation. Independent students who have to manage their education along with part-time jobs find it challenging to spend on their other expenses if the tuition fees threaten to take up all the money.
Let’s take a look at the kind of problems that tuition fees in universities can cause and what the students have to say about it.
Fee Structure Equivalent to the Home Structure
Tuition fees in the UK vary depending upon students’ status; where they are from, and what their subject is. Tuition fees are likely high in courses like science, medicine, and engineering because of their intensive lab and equipment use. The main sections, in which the tuition fees vary, even in the same courses, are the nationality of the students:
- Home students in England generally pay at least £9,250 per year for undergraduate and £4,000 to £12,000 for postgraduate. This amount, however, doesn’t include the expenses of books, equipment, travel, and other living expenses, which make the cost of attending university much higher.
- International students typically pay at least £10,000 to £38,000 per year for undergraduate and £10,000 to £40,000 for postgraduate. Apart from that, they have to manage their own accommodation, travel, and all the other expenses by themselves, because they do not have any access to UK student loans or other financial aid.
- EU students, since 2021, are no longer considered home students. EU students might pay the same as international students. Only students from Ireland are considered home students because of the Common Travel Area (CTA).
Home Students About the Home Education
Home students have shown mixed reviews when asked about their opinion on tuition fees. While a large number of students are satisfied enough, other students believe that paying £9,250 for a year costs too much.
The most common concern that students have about the tuition fees is the value of their money. Most of the students from the arts and humanities feel like their money is not being valued because of the few hours of in-person study per week, despite paying the same amount as the students of medicine, engineering, and science.
Emily, a third-year student of literature from the University of Birmingham, said, “I love my subject, but I can’t justify paying £9,250 for four hours of lectures a week. Most of my learning happens at home alone.”
Students have started to doubt if they are receiving a fair return on their investment. Especially after COVID-19, ever since educational technology gained popularity and allowed students to use assignment help UK and dissertation help UK, which helps them write properly drafted content without the help of a teacher or supervisor.
International Students and the Perception of “Cash Cows”
For international students, the financial burden is twice as heavy as for home students. Having to pay double what domestic students pay, without any favour or funds from the university, a perception among international students is formed of being seen as “cash cows” for the university.
Daniel Stevens of the NUS said, “International students are an important part of the social, cultural, and academic make-up of university life and should not be treated simply as cash cows.”
A lot of international students find it mentally exhausting to work hard to fit in by doing draining part-time jobs and drafting a detailed assignment in their non-native language. It is not rare for such international students to seek online help and ask someone, “Do my assignment.”
Priya, a Master’s student from the University of London, said, “Don’t get me wrong, I chose the UK because of its excellent reputation, but £28,000 a year, plus the daily costs of living in London? It’s so difficult. Sometimes I wonder if it’s really worth it or not.”
The Debate over Debts
Student loans are the financial help by the government to pay the tuition and living costs for eligible students. The criteria for repaying the student loan are a bit different, where:
- Students can only repay if they are earning over the particular amount, which is £27,295 per year currently.
- Students will have to pay 9% of their income.
- If any student is not able to pay for until 30-40 years, then the remaining debt will be wiped out.
Even though student loans provide the instant help, but some students can feel the long-term burden pressing down on their backs. Josh was a media graduate from London, who said, “I graduated five years ago, and my debt has gone up instead of down. That’s ridiculous.”
The main debate rises when the students who earn more than the threshold argues that it’s unfair for them to repay the debt while for others it gets forgiven. Rosie, a previous student of law, from the University of Manchester, once argued, “If I work hard and succeed, why should I pay more than someone who doesn’t?”
What Lay Ahead?
Universities are concerned about the future. They are stuck between the rising costs of tuition fees, dissatisfaction of students, and political pressure; their strategies and opinions reflect these tensions.
The universities in the UK believe that the current model is broken, because of the freeze on tuition fee cap since 2017. Universities are thinking of bringing the increase in this cap in order to maintain the quality with all the support, but they also don’t want to hurt the students in the process.
Universities are calling out to the government to act, or else they’d have to:
- Cut the staff or services
- Increase class sizes
- Focus more on international or postgraduate students for funding
Final Thoughts
Although, finances are a concern of many, a lot of students don’t feel dissatisfied when they graduate and receive the degree they have been dreaming of and working towards for so long. A student from Birmingham mentioned, “It’s not like a traditional debt where someone’s knocking at your door. You only pay when you’re earning, so it’s not that scary.”
The increase in online learning and online exam help has made many international students doubt if their degree is worth it. However, universities are considering helping international students as well to avoid the criticism and keep up the reputation.
- UK Tuition Fees: Student Opinions, Debates & Real Experiences
- Explore how UK tuition fees impact home, EU, and international students. Real stories, financial challenges, and debates around student value and loan debt.
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