The ongoing debate due to the continually increasing cost of college tuition in the United States has made national governments question whether they should subsidize college education. In some countries, particularly in Europe, this has always been the case. However, when looking at college education in North America, the bill has not stopped increasing for college students and student loans have become long-term burdens for students. Student loans in the United States amount to $1.2 trillion and universities look more and more like places where “to those who have, more is given.” However, in most European countries, college education is affordable. Contrary to American universities where tuition can reach up to $70,000 per year of undergraduate education, in European countries like Denmark, undergraduate college education is simply funded by the State. From $70,000 to €150 for a year of undergraduate education, European universities have attracted 14% more international students between 2000 and 2010.Despite recent tuition increases, the United States is still the top destination for international students. Nevertheless, as Charles Dickens said in his work Great Expectations, the world is divided between the wealthy and the impoverished, and thus many international students, often from North America, are now trying to go to Europe for college in order to avoid student loans.France is a good example of a country in which college education is accessible to all who want it, and is free or almost free if those students are integrating “Grandes Ecoles.” In France, public college education and, more generally, higher education is funded by the State. An academic year costs on average 150€ to 700€ depending on the school, the program, and its rank. College education in France is different from other college education systems abroad both in terms of tuition and system. The bachelor’s degree in France called License takes three years to complete, after which students have the possibility to do a Master’s degree and/or a Doctorate. Thus it is even more surprising that college education in France, in a similar fashion to other European countries, is cheaper not only in terms of money but also time-wise. In Denmark, college education is also funded by the State and student mobility is very smooth in Denmark as the government subsidizes students’ tuition following certain requirements: students that were born in Denmark, have a permanent visa or a residence permit, or are from the EU or Nordic Council all have access to free college education. Free college education is obviously good for students who do not have the means to pay for college tuition and fees. Many great colleges, in both Europe and other places outside North America, have low college tuition and yet the education offered is in no way inferior to the one offered in a college having high fees. Students, though, tend to differentiate between expensive colleges, which tend to be private institutions, and cheaper colleges, that are often public; however, these are different systems and cannot be compared as they offer different types of education. Even two private institutions from two different countries with one being cheaper than the other does not necessarily mean that one offers a “better” education than the other. Looking at the top ten universities worldwide, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a notorious and prestigious American undergraduate and postgraduate university, has an average tuition of $45,000 per year for a four-year bachelor’s degree whereas the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has an average tuition of £9,000 per year for a three-year bachelor’s degree. This does not mean in any way that MIT offers a better education than Cambridge, but rather reflects the fact that the UK government subsidizes more fees for Cambridge than the US does for MIT.So why is the United States government not subsidizing college education? Ronald Ehrenberg, a professor of economics at Cornell University and director of its higher education research institute, suggests that some governments such - as the American government - cut their own budgets on college education as donations from wealthy alumni are rising consistently in most prestigious universities. Alumni who donate to universities are looking for excellence rather than equality. These donations reflect the idea of “merit-based” financial aid, which focuses on the merit of the student regardless of his or her financial situation, as opposed to “need-based” financial aid, which prioritizes the financial needs of the students rather than their academic capabilities.Governments do not necessarily have to make every public university free. In fact, most students that attend public universities can afford it and only need a certain percentage of financial aid. It is also not reasonable to think that every student in the country desires to go to college; college requires not only money but also motivation. However, it is a state’s duty to ensure that students who want to gain a college education have sufficient aid. Barack Obama stated in 2010: “The single most important thing we can do is to make sure we’ve got a world-class education system for everybody. This is a prerequisite for prosperity. It is an obligation that we have for the next generation.” This article was written by Jeremy Teboul . Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Jiayu Zhu