The relationship between education and money is an uneasy one. Higher education institutions need cash to survive, but this can blur the line between business and education. I’ve studied at a British university and taught at a Czech one, so I thought it might be interesting to compare how the two systems function in relation to money – and the effect this has on students.
Paying for higher education in the UK
English students pay university fees, so unless they are rich, they apply for student loans. When I filled in the financial forms I never considered I was signing up for a ton of debt. I didn’t understand loan rates, or whether this was a good or bad deal. All my friends were doing it, I assumed it must be alright.
A financial advisor ought to tell high school leavers what they’re signing up for: “You needn’t apply for the biggest loan. Take a smaller one and get a part-time job or just scrimp a little – you’ll be far better off.” Understanding the amount I’d eventually owe would have helped, rather than receiving confusing percentages on a spreadsheet.
The sense that higher education is a business continued once I arrived at university. Seminars were packed – as if the aim were to cram as many students into classes as possible. Not a single teacher knew my name, my student advisor was impossible to pin down, and when I eventually met him he provided the wrong information about Erasmus and I never made it onto the program.
Most students aimed to stay out the way and pass with minimal fuss. Maybe the university wanted this too: anonymous students cost less in manpower and in the meantime the little bastards could spend all their money in the union bar. This sounds cynical but it’s how a lot of us felt – and even more so in retrospect.
English students begin to repay their loan when their earnings hit a threshold. The moment they’re promoted, the fee increases, so it feels like they’re stuck in the mud. Most of the fees only cover interest and inflation. I turn forty this year and I am still repaying the debt. By the time I repay fully (if I ever do), I’ll have given the government far more money than they lent me.
Paying for higher education in the Czech Republic
One of the most surprising things about Czech universities is they’re free. The second is that very few students are grateful. They look baffled when I tell them how much I owe from my student days. I guess benefits no longer look like benefits when they’re normalized.
A system where anyone can receive higher education without accruing a mountain of debt may sound utopian but there is a downside. When education is free, students deem it worthless. “It doesn’t matter if I’m studying a subject I’ll never use, it’s not costing me anything.” “Who cares if I fail? I’ll just study for another year.”
Unlike their British counterparts, Czech teachers know too much about their students. They help with all manner of problems, rather than letting pupils figure things out for themselves. This mollycoddling means students learn so little about life that they may as well be at high school. At least English students learn about the reality of money and debt.
Final thoughts on whether students should pay for higher education
A good education system is one where students choose subjects they want to learn, work towards careers they want to do, and understand the sacrifices. Currently, English students make financial sacrifices for no apparent reason, while Czechs forfeit important years repeating courses that they have no interest in. Whether higher education should be free is beside the point. A better question is how can we improve high-school leavers’ access to information so that they avoid wasting their time or money.