Summary
9 February 2011
Two of Britain's top universities are expected to increase tuition fees to the maximum level allowed by new laws. Both Oxford and Cambridge said that charging the maximum for all subjects from 2012 was the only way of maintaining academic excellence.
Reporter:
Mark Lobel
The cost of going to university in the UK is due to increase dramatically
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The cost of a top education in England looks set to soar. The British government chose to allow universities to increase tuition fees to $9,500 a year, to secure the future of higher education as public finances are cut. Ministers said the costs could rise to around $14,500 in exceptional circumstances.
Surprisingly, two of England's most prestigious universities, Oxford and Cambridge, have already signalled they will charge this top rate. An internal Cambridge review said it'll be for all courses, with discounts of up to $5,000 for poorer students. The deputy head of Oxford University said it'll be charging the maximum for all subjects, to make up for budget cuts and to be able to subsidise the less well-off.
Opposing the increases, some students said talented young people could still be turned off applying, to avoid being overwhelmed by debt. They fear social elitism will replace academic excellence.
Mark Lobel, 大象传媒 News
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Vocabulary
- set to soar
in a position or likely to increase significantly
- to secure
to protect
- higher education
universities and colleges
- exceptional circumstances
rare or unusual situations
- prestigious
highly thought of, respected and valued
- signalled
have indicated that
- subsidise
pay money for the benefit of
- less well-off
poorer people, who have less money than most
- turned off
discouraged
- social elitism
categorising people based on their social class or wealth
