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Originally Posted by TheMercenary
Sure I am paying attention. Sounds no different than our current healthcare system. Those who have no money get it for free while those who have money are overcharged so others get it for free.
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Not so. Those who are resident pay the same tuition fees regardless of income. Low interest loans for those top-up fees are available regardless of income. The only element dependent on income levels is the maintenance loan/grant. That goes on a sliding scale: if you have a household income of less than 15k per annum you can get the full loan (note: loan) of 3k a year. You can also get the full grant (non-repayable) of 2.5k a year. This is not to cover the cost of university fees and is not paid for by overcharging other students. Overseas students are not over-charged: they are charged at the market rate for university tuition. All UK resident university students are subsidized through general taxation.
[eta]actually, not quite all. There are a handful of institutions which are not subsidized and charge full rate tuition fees. They have chosen not to be funded by government. I would point out that these do not include Oxford or Cambridge. Even with the changing rules on top-up fees, the cost of attending an Oxbridge institution is not much higher than attending my university. They receive general taxation funding, therefore they are obliged to offer education on similar terms.