Despite previous protests in London, it seems that tuition rates will increase. Imperial College London became the second English university to confirm that it wants to charge the maximum level of tuition, 9,000 pounds starting in 2012.
This dramatic increase is causing quite concern and controversy. To gain some perspective, I converted 9,000 pounds to U.S. dollars. This came out to be $14,483.74! Yes, this is a lot of money, but compared to my education of some $50,000 per year, this is still preferable!
BBC News implied that with this tuition hike, more students will consider studying abroad for their entire college experience. The video story follows a few British students studying in Maastricht. These students feel much less pressure and hope to graduate debt-free.
This is an interesting prospect for American students: save money by studying in a foreign country for four years. The only problem I see is that college counselors and admissions officers in the U.S. always place such emphasis on geographic location. Ideally you should pick a school close to where you plan on living post education. This helps with networking and overall ease of transition. If you’re brave, why not consider going abroad to escape the ridiculously high tuition prices here? Apparently London will have plenty of vacancies…
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI think one issue is that in the US people are used to taking out loans for college but the mentality in Europe is very different. Debt is not as "normal" as it is here; bankruptcy, especially personal bankruptcy, is a black mark. (In all likelihood, not everyone will be able to repay the loans.)
Also, here there are more resources in terms of financial aid. Americans also have a tradition of saving for college that Europeans don't have. Some British students might not be able to secure loans at all.
I think making students realize what their education costs is a good thing but I wish the fees had been introduced more slowly.
I'm not sure if you've seen this November 2008 article in the New York Times about American students getting their degree abroad. http://nyti.ms/fevDpw It touches upon a lot of the points you're making.
As a side note, I don't know if "you should pick a school close to where you plan on living post education". I agree with the need for a network, but going to college is also a great opportunity to move away from home for a few years before coming back later (especially if aging parents need care). The best thing would be to pick a school with a lot of regional alumni clubs so that you know you can create a network wherever your job leads you. I think Lehigh is great for that!
Keep up the good work!
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