The truth about tuition fees

There is an article today in the Guardian with the headline "Richest students to pay for extra places at Universities"(http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/may/09/universities-extra-places-richest-students). Invariably when somebody reads this headline they'll probably think 'Robbing bastards, now only the rich can afford to go to University, Tory scum". However, once you read the article, you realize that it is actually the poorest students that will benefit the most, as I will explain.


Currently each Uni course has to fill a quota of about 50-60% I think on average for "UK" students. These students pay NOTHING up front, and they get a stipend/loan to pay for living costs as well, but may have to pay up to 9k per year plus their living costs back if they have enough money after graduation, which is still heavily subsidized and taken out of their wages just like any other tax. If you can't pay it eventually it is written off. The rest is formed of EU (which pay 9k upfront) and non-EU students, who can pay from 12k-28k per year depending on the course. The scheme which the government are announcing is that the UK students who can afford the full fees (that is 12-28k per year) upfront, can apply for places outside the UK quota system, that is apply like an international student. This will help the poorest UK students for 3 reasons:

1.   This will free up places in the quota system, therefore allowing some students to study a course they would not otherwise had the opportunity to study

2. The Uni will make more money from these rich UK students, hence more money will be invested in the course overall, and therefore more places will be available as a result (even for the normal UK students, as there is a quota system).

3. UK students funded by charities and businesses will now be able to register as "international", rather than UK like they did before, and pay the full fees. As these charities/businesses tend to fund the poorer students, the amount of poorer students at university will increase anyway. This will also free up places in the quota for more students.

Therefore don't believe what the headline says. This government proposal will undoubtedly increase social mobility, not decrease it.