Britain, England
Increasing tuition fees and loans is "walking on thin ice"
Since the British government allowed universities to significantly raise the tuition ceiling at the end of last year, there are more than 100 universities 1 3 British universities ready to charge the highest tuition fees for all majors, with an average fee of 8765 pounds (1pound 1.60 US dollars). Famous universities such as Cambridge and Oxford not only welcomed the increase in tuition fees, but also expressed dissatisfaction with the government's setting of the tuition ceiling. It is reported that the new charging standard will be officially implemented from the fall semester of 20 12, but the tuition fees of international students at Cambridge University have started to rise sharply, and their Chinese medicine major has more than doubled.
In order to reduce the deficit, the British government has been trying to tighten spending and cut public spending. The purpose of raising university tuition is to reduce the educational burden of the government. It is reported that the British government's public expenditure on education will be reduced by about 13% in the next four years, which is the biggest decline in the past 60 years, among which early education and youth services will be the most affected. According to a report released by the Public Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons in June this year, although tuition fees in the field of education have decreased, the government needs to allocate hundreds of millions of pounds to help those students who are eligible for interest-free loans, which is tantamount to "carrying them on their backs". At present, the negative impact of tuition price increase has already appeared. 10According to the data released by the British College Admissions Committee124 October, the total number of applications received by British universities decreased by 9% year-on-year, while the number of local applicants decreased by 12%.
In an interview with this reporter, Smith, director of the Press Office of the London School of Economics and Political Science, said that the school announced in May this year that the tuition fee for the 20 12 academic year had increased to 8,500 pounds, although there were differences on the increase in tuition fees. He believes that the increase in tuition fees will enable schools to make up for the deficit caused by the decrease in government funding, and also increase scholarships and financial assistance for poor students. He also said that the number of students in the college has not decreased because of the increase in tuition fees, and the enrollment ratio of undergraduates this year is still at a high level of 15.
British universities are mostly public universities that eat "imperial grain". Therefore, many ordinary universities think that the increase of tuition fees is not enough to make up for the decrease of government education funds, which not only does not open up new sources, but also increases the burden of granting scholarships and grants to schools, which directly increases the economic pressure on students' families. The British opposition party believes that the government's decision has aggravated social injustice and may lead to the reduction of departments in some colleges and even the closure of universities.
In response to a reporter's question, David willetts, the British Minister of Universities and Skills, said that there was no change in the UK's regulations on fees for international students, and there was no limit on the number of international students in China. Whether the tuition fees of international students will rise or not is decided by universities according to the education market.
United States of America
Higher education has become an important export product.
According to the latest research report released by the American College Board, from 20 1 1 to 20 12, the tuition fees of American colleges and universities have risen sharply: the average tuition and miscellaneous fees of four-year public universities are $8,244, up 8.3% from the previous year. If accommodation is included, the average tuition fee is about $65,438 +0.7 1 10,000, an increase of 6% over the same period last year. The average tuition and miscellaneous fees of four-year private universities were $28,500, up 4.5% year-on-year. Including room and board, the per capita expenditure was about $38,600, up 4.4% year-on-year.
College expenses have become the biggest increase in American household expenditure. Patrick Cullen, the founder of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education in the United States, believes that university expenses are not only rising faster than medical expenses, but also much faster than the inflation rate and the growth rate of household income. He pointed out that although this trend lasted for 30 years, the economic burden of students became heavier when the American economy declined.
American public universities are funded by the state government. When the deficit is generally high, the state government will take education as the first step to cut spending. Due to the decrease of funds, state universities have to open up new sources and cut costs, and maintain the normal operation of the school by freezing recruitment, cutting the benefits of faculty and staff, and especially raising tuition fees.
In contrast, the situation of American private universities is not much better. The funds of these schools mainly come from social donations. With the decreasing amount of donations in recent years, except for some famous schools, most ordinary private universities have received a sharp decline in donations, which directly led to a decline in the number of scholarships and an increase in tuition fees.
At the end of 10, US President Barack Obama announced that the government will implement a series of measures to "reduce the burden" on student loans in advance, and advance the effective date from 20 14 to the beginning of 20 12, which will benefit about1600,000 college students and graduates. In addition, from next year, relevant institutions will also integrate student loans, and about 6 million students and graduates will enjoy preferential loan interest rates. In his statement, Obama said that under the trend of economic globalization, college education has never been so important, but at the same time, going to college has become more expensive than ever, and the government should reduce the burden of student loans.
Due to the rising tuition fees and the shrinking number of domestic students, the demand for international students in American universities has increased. According to the report "20 10 Open Door" released by the American Institute of International Education at the end of last year, the number of international students in American universities has increased by 3% compared with about 690,000 in the previous year, setting a historical record. The Open Door Report 20 1 1 released by the organization in July this year also shows that from 2009 to 20 10, the number of China students studying in the United States increased by nearly 30%, approaching128,000, and China has surpassed India to become the largest source country in the United States.
At the same time, the visa policy for international students in the United States has also been relaxed. In 20 10, American embassies and consulates around the world issued 7 10000 student visas, with an average pass rate of 86%. The US government and many universities have indicated that it is the general trend to attract more international students to study in the United States, and the number of visas issued to international students will continue to increase. The State Council's Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs said that there are economic considerations for the United States to increase its efforts to attract international students. Higher education is an important "export" product of the United States and has become the fifth largest service industry in the United States. The tuition and living expenses of international students bring up to $20 billion in income to the United States every year.