HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION?
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMERICAN AND
BRITISH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
THE USA
BRITAIN
Public school (a school paid by the
Public school (an expensive private
government)
school) (Eton, Harrow, Winchester)
Kindergarten (the first year of school
Kindergarten – nursery for children
school at the age of 5)
aged 4 or 5
Elementary school (grade school) -
Primary school - children aged between
children aged between 5 and 11
5 and 11
Grade
Form
Junior high school (12/13-14)
Secondary school (11-18)
High school (14-17)
Sixth form college
To graduate from school
To finish school
A university = a college = a school
A college does not give a degree.
(gives a degree)
A university gives a degree.
A graduate course = a course taken
A post graduate course
after graduation from the university
or college
To be in School / College / University
To be at School / College / University
A freshman
A first year student
A sophomore
A second year student
A junior
A third year student
A senior
A fourth year student
A semester – one of the two periods
A term - one of the three periods a
that a year is divided into at schools
year is divided into at schools and
and universities
universities
First semester
Autumn term
Second semester
Spring term
A quarter – one of the four main
Summer term
periods a year is divided into at some
some American schools
Instructor
Lecturer
Dean
Professor
Department
Faculty
Student
Pupil
To take a class (in business)
To take a course (in business)
To flank out – to leave school before
To drop out – to leave school before
you have finished it
you have finished it
University Fees: how much should an education cost?
Discussion questions.
1) How much do people in your country pay to go to university?
2) What do you think of the English system? (price, how they repay etc.)
3) Do you think all universities should charge the same tuition fees? Why/ Why not?
4) Some people think that education should be free, do you agree?
5) Some universities charge higher fees to international students. Some universities charge different fees for different courses. Do you think this is fair?
HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION?
University students in England currently pay £9,000 a year tuition fees; this money pays for the students’ education and doesn’t cover living costs such as rent, food or books. When these other costs are considered, the average English student leaves University with £44,000 of debt.
The left-wing Labour party has just announced that if it wins the General Election in May, the £9,000 tuition fee will be reduced to £6,000 per year.
University fees is an important subject in British politics. The last General Election in 2010 was won by the right-wing Conservative party. One of the first things they did was increase university fees to £9,000 per year. Before 2010, university fees were £3,250 per year.
University students in England start to repay their student debt when they find a job after they graduate. If they do not find a job that pays more than £16,910 per year, they do not have to repay their loan.
Interestingly, university fees are different in different parts of the UK. Scottish students who study at a Scottish university do not have to pay tuition fees at all. In Wales university fees are £3,810 per year and in Northern Ireland they are £3,805. English students currently pay three times more than students in other parts of the UK.
Comprehension Questions: How much did you understand?
1) How much money do English students currently pay to go to university a year?
2) How much money did English students pay to go to university in 2009? How much in 2010?
3) If Labour win the General Election, how much will tuition fees be?
4) Which party increased tuition fees to £9,000 per year?
5) When do English students start to repay their student debt?
6) How much do Scottish students pay in tuition fees? How much do Welsh students pay?