University Tuition Fees In The UK

Yeah, we're basically saying the same thing. Just to say where the money comes from? without getting too much into the intricacies of modern finance, the State essentially gets money from banks who loan the State money because they know states can generate revenue through taxes. All modern States run themselves on deficits.

The cost of universities is always going to be paid ultimately by us, it just matters in what guise we pay it and how much each "identity" pays for it. Charging tuition basically moves costs from a citizenry paying progressive taxation (the more you earn, the more you're taxed) to "students". So it essentially relieves the rich (or corporations, more the case) from paying for the training of their employees. This is called externalling the costs, which just means getting someone else to pay for what you use.

We disagree on one thing, though, I don't agree that university education should be given to the best students as a privilege, but should be guaranteed to all. I don't think that the ones who don't need school, because they're good learners, should get to have more of it. Shouldn't those who are "slower" be given the rights to education, no matter at what point in their lives? 

Thank you, your response is very informative. I am not very savvy with macroeconomics, as much as I would like to be.

We disagree on one thing, though, I don't agree that university education should be given to the best students as a privilege, but should be guaranteed to all. I don't think that the ones who don't need school, because they're good learners, should get to have more of it. Shouldn't those who are "slower" be given the rights to education, no matter at what point in their lives? 

OK, well I see your point. Yes, it should be available to all and should not be limited to a select few. I didn't mean to limit certain individuals who want an education; I was just thinking of the dilemma we have here in the US where so many people are getting higher education who could care less about actually learning; and thus this attitude waters down the quality of the education one receives overall. Not sure what the solution to that is.

ETA: Just thought of the solution– better vocational training! You already knew that though!

ETA: Just thought of the solution– better vocational training! You already knew that though!

That is exactly what I was going to say!!

Yes, the vocational training here is a shambles, and that gets the government into its own contradictions. On the one hand, people don't want immigrants, on the other it's clear that there's a tremendous skills shortage (at all levels) in the UK that can only be fixed in the short term by (Polish, EU, US) immigrants.

Not to venture into politics (so skip this please if it is upsetting), there's an entirely different reading of the midterms, which isn't that Americans are unhappy about Iraq, but that Iraq is the theme that people can use to express their real worries: the middle-class is being put under a lot of pressure from rising costs of what defines a middle-class social identity: the price of a home, higher education, and health care.

To bring it back to the OP, the question isn't if the US or the UK is better value for money, the question is why are we having this discussion in the first place? Shouldn't education be one of the few places that the market shouldn't decide?