| Tertiary education is a vital component of our | | | | touch in modern times. Education should not be the |
| civilization, providing essential skills for the survival of | | | | reserve of the well off, but should be a right open to |
| modern society. Tertiary education spawns the | | | | those who earn their place, regardless of background. |
| doctors, lawyers, teachers and academics of | | | | Sadly this is far from the truth in the society in which |
| tomorrow, in a perpetual cycle of training and | | | | we live today. A good example to consider is the |
| intellectual development. From the point of view of | | | | system in Scotland, as distinct from the rest of the |
| our children, tertiary education is an essential beacon | | | | UK. Education in Scotland is free, i.e. the student |
| of hope, an aspiration for the future, for prospects in | | | | doesn't have to pay his tuition fees. How does the |
| later life. For all the benefits of education to degree | | | | government afford this? Easy. |
| level there are many drawbacks, namely finance. | | | | The government makes money from the student |
| Full-time students have very little time to earn money | | | | loans it offers, and also charges a hefty 'graduate |
| on their own. With bills to pay like everyone else, the | | | | endowment' upon graduation to cover a large |
| full time student also has to hold down the equivalent | | | | proportion of the costs. Even although this system is |
| to a part time job to scrape enough money to | | | | far from perfect, it is the envy of most of Europe, |
| survive. Add to that the pressures of having to pay | | | | and has worked well since its introduction earlier in |
| for your tuition and fork our several hundred dollars | | | | the decade. |
| each semester on books, and you're talking about | | | | It is simply a case of finding a balance between |
| extreme poverty. Surely this can not be right, that | | | | government subsidy of tuition fees and unjustified |
| the talent we need as a nation is forced through | | | | expenditure. Our students are worth it, and we have |
| terrible conditions, well below the poverty line, until | | | | very promising talent coming from all walks of life. It |
| they qualify with a ton of debt against their name. | | | | would be a terrible shame if the doctors, lawyers and |
| Funding of students is expected to include some | | | | teachers of tomorrow could never materialize |
| element of parental support, which is frankly out of | | | | because their parents simply weren't rich enough. |