<p>I completely understand why people don’t want to take out mortgage style loans just for college, but there’s no reason why the US couldn’t implement the UK loans system.</p>
<p>@oldfort No, that’s just the fees. Add in the living costs and its closer to £15,000 per year (and rather more in London), which is more than most American public universities. And since when do British expats pay taxes to the UK… I thought that was only US nationals.</p>
<p>As I stated before, US college tuition is around 40K, unless you are paying instate tuition, plust 12-15K living costs, which would bring it closer to 50K plus. 15K pound is a bargain. I am certainly not an expert when it comes to UK taxes, but I do know the expats file both UK and the country where they are working at tax returns, and there is a tax equalization (agreement) between various countries. Most of UK (European) expats have said it would be a lot less expensive for their children to go to schools in their home countries rather than the US. Even as an international, 15K pound tuition for Oxford is a lot less expensive than top privates in the US, almost 50% less.</p>
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<p>Yes it is different. Only the US among rich countries taxes its citizens no matter where they are. Your British friends, if they live outside the UK, do not pay British taxes on any income not connected with the UK. If they live in the US and earn no money in the UK and have no property etc in the UK, then they need have no dealings with the UK tax authorities.</p>
<p>Maybe they do know what they are doing and you just don’t understand, or have communicated it poorly, but I think your friends might be in for a shock. Eligibility for domestic fees in the UK is determined purely by the physical presence of the student (nobody cares about the parents) for the years before application. If the student has not been physically present in the EU, as their main residence, for the several years before going to college, they are not eligible.</p>
<p>You are right that even non-EU fees for Oxford are cheaper than many Amerian privates for many people, but that only applies to rich people (earn more than about $60k). People who earn less than that will be eligible for all sorts of grants etc from American privates, which may make them cheaper.</p>
<p>Most of them do own properties in their home countries.</p>
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Income of 60K is not considered rich. Many privates offer aids for families making 120-180K.</p>
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<p>OK so they need to pay property tax etc. But that won’t make their kids eligible for domestic fees, unless the kids have been living in those properties.</p>
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<p>I thought Harvard’s aid started tapering off at about $60k? So up to maybe $200k you’ll get stuff, but as you get higher it gets lower and lower?</p>
<p>Oldfort, I don’t doubt that American private colleges cost more than UK universities if you pay full whack (but most people don’t pay anything near that). UK universities are in general more expensive than American public ones, and certainly more than in-state universities. But this is neither here nor there, my main point was that if the US had a proper student loans system everybody would be able to afford to take out a loan and not have to rely on their parents.</p>
<p>Most people I know pay full fare, at my kid’s school that is 50%. A lot of countries subsidize their universities, and they use entrance exams to only allow the top students to attend. American school system is different. Top students could still attend schools for nothing, but they couldn’t attend ANY school they want. My older kid was given a full ride at a second tier college, but we chose to pay full fare at a school of her (and ours) choice. Going to college is a privilege in th US. It takes sacrifice of a family, and hard work of a student. We do it willingly with no strings attached, and our kids in return are very appreciative of what we are doing for them.</p>
<p>College is a privilege in the US? What nonsense, it should be the right of anyone with the ability.</p>
<p>Why should family sacrifice play a role in whether someone can attend college or not. You’re lucky that you can pay the fees for your children, many can’t afford to - their children must settle for mediocre colleges or not go at all because of the sorry state of American student loans.</p>
<p>It is also a privilege at all other countries. I don’t know any country which guarantees schooling beyond high school. Nothing is free. If you want free education for all then we all just need to pay higher taxes, which most people are not willing to do.</p>
<p>Without reading the last four pages, here are my two cents to the OP:</p>
<p>Traveling independently for the first time is terrifying. But it changes a person. Doing the things that scare you, realizing you can function independently… you’ll mature a lot, but only if your family gives you the space you’ll need to realize it.</p>
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<p>Pretty sure it’s free (if you’re smart enough) in many northern European countries. In Ireland it only costs a thousand euros or so a year.</p>
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Pretty sure it’s free <a href=“if%20you’re%20smart%20enough”>B</a>** in many northern European countries. In Ireland it only costs a thousand euros or so a year. <a href=“emphasis%20added”>/quote</a></p>
<p>But that makes it conditional and a privilege. In the US, every kid who wants to go to college can find one to go to, be it a small private or a community college. In Europe, there are many fewer available seats in higher education than there are in the US.</p>
<p>At many colleges in the US (albeit not the top ones), it can also be free if you’re smart enough.</p>
<p>In Denmark, the government pays students as they attend college, rather than charging tuition. And I believe this free education is open to all, though I can’t find a citation for that. The impression I got from my host-family in Denmark is that certain fields of study obviously require a pre-determined aptitude, but that a college education was available for all at no cost. </p>
<p>I believe this system is what keepittoyourself was referring to in the Northern European countries.</p>
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<p>In nearly every European country university is free or very, very cheap. Most of them guarantee university places for any who want them, and some countries (e.g. Norway) pay for its citizens to study abroad.</p>
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<p>That is completely wrong. Obviously you need some academic merit to go to university but anyone who wants to is given the chance. In France for example, anybody who has passed high school and applies to university gets in - that’s the law. But in their second year they have to take ridiculously hard exams, anybody who doesn’t make the cut is booted out - but everyone is given the chance to succeed, unlike in the US.</p>
<p>Posted to me, by keepittoyourself, several days ago:</p>
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<p>Keep, I have been away from this thread for a few days, but I do seem to have gotten things muddled last week, and to have attributed some of Dionysus’ ideas to you. It was a careless error, and I apologize.</p>
<p>Thanks! Accepted.</p>