PrintDecember 19, 2010
Thatcher, Reagan, and Those Revolting British Students
The images of violent protests in London coming in from across the pond are disturbing to most Americans. But if some are tempted to find comfort in the idea that what is going on over there could never happen here, they should think again. At issue in the United Kingdom is the announced policy change, more than a year under discussion and review, to subsidize less of the college tuition of students. In the recent past, the top amount (calculated here in dollars) a student would pay for a year's tuition is $4,800. The proposed new cap is $14,500. Bear in mind that the British system subsidizes tuition at both public and private colleges (though our cousins have their "private" and "public" labels reversed, much like their driving lanes). That's right: the idea is that to go to "Oxbridge" (Oxford or Cambridge -- think Harvard or Yale) will now cost a maximum of $14,500 -- a bargain by American standards. Though admittedly, it...(Read Full Article)
