Many people today find that the cost of attaining a University-level education is extremely high for the students and their families. What are the causes of this situation, and how can governments, Universities, and the students themselves overcome the problem?

While many young people aspire to attend University, the expense involved can be prohibitive in some cases. The causes of this appear to be focused on three areas, and several solutions also appear to be possible. Perhaps the major factor here is the reduction in government subsidy for University courses. For instance, in the UK, such courses were virtually free to the student until recently but now cost around £30, 000 per year. This pattern appears to be global, with the result that students and their families need to meet the costs directly. Another cause is the increasing cost of living in many countries, meaning that the cost of day-to-day life (in addition to fees) can be almost overwhelming for students. A third factor is a difficulty in finding part-time work while a student is studying. Such work tends to be poorly paid while taking up time that students should use for their studies. Turning to possible solutions, an obvious step would be to restore some element of state funding to courses. Although public budgets are under pressure these days, if we took this step it would greatly enhance access to courses for people on lower incomes. A second remedy might be for the Universities to offer shorter courses, or more courses with an element of professionally paid work experience included. If such courses were more available, it would reduce the issue of living expenses to some extent. Finally, students themselves should perhaps be more flexible in their attitude to education, and consider attending University at a later stage, or possibly only when they have accumulated sufficient funds to support themselves. In summary, the factors of funding and cost of living appear to be the main causes. A coordinated response by the state, the institutions, and the individuals may well lessen the severity of the situation.