In order for low-income populations to be able to obtain higher education, national state and private organizations develop special programs that provide special grants or fully cover tuition at higher education institutions for students from families unable to pay for their studies independently.
The Institute for Educational Policy (Educational Policy Institute - EPI) conducted a study on the accessibility of higher education in a number of developed countries. It is a non-governmental non-profit organization whose main task is to conduct research aimed at ensuring educational opportunities for all students. With offices in Washington and Toronto, the institute brings together researchers and analysts from various countries around the world. The institute sees its mission as expanding educational opportunities for representatives of low-paid groups and other population groups not interested in obtaining an education.
The first report, entitled Global Higher Education Report 2005, was prepared by the institute and brought to the attention of all those interested in this issue quite recently - in mid-April of this year. Although the study did not directly concern our country, its data will likely be of interest to our readers.
The researchers conducted their work on two indicators - the attractiveness and accessibility of higher education in the world's leading economically developed countries. To calculate the attractiveness indicator, analysts used an original methodology based on the "ability to pay" (Ability to Pay - ATP). After studying various sources, the researchers settled on a series of indicators of the attractiveness of higher education in a given country:
1. Cost of education, including textbook expenses, as a percentage of ATP.
2. Total cost of tuition, living and household expenses as a percentage of ATP.
3. Net cost after deductions of received grants as a percentage of ATP.
4. Net cost after deductions of taxes or state support as a percentage of ATP.
5. Loans as a percentage of ATP.
The report's creators placed Finland, Belgium and Sweden in the top positions for the lowest cost of education, because there is no tuition fee there. In Germany, France and Ireland, also countries with free education (meaning for local students), the cost of education is higher due to registration fees and spending on study materials. Italy, the Netherlands and Austria were identified as countries with low education costs, while Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada were classified as average in cost. The USA and Japan received the status of countries with the highest cost of higher education (see table).
As for living costs, according to the compilers of the rating, in national currency they are: Australia - 9,077 Australian dollars, Austria - €5,435, Belgium (Flemish part) - €3,870, Belgium (French part) - €4,309, Canada - 6,112 Canadian dollars, Finland - ?4,882, France - ?5,043, Germany - €4,124, Ireland - €4,628, Italy - €4,128, Japan - 846,818 yen, Netherlands - ?4,597, New Zealand - 11,087 New Zealand dollars, Sweden - 51,184 kronor, United Kingdom - 5,333 pounds sterling, USA - $6,344.
Thus, the cost of living in the Scandinavian and English-speaking countries (except Canada) turns out to be higher than similar services in mainland Europe.
The system of awarding grants to local students is most developed in Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and the USA. Moreover, while in the first two countries the majority of students can count on state support, in Finland up to 80%, in the USA it is most widespread among students from low-income families. However, it is worth mentioning that in France, for many students studying on a fee-paying basis in higher commercial and engineering schools, the state covers up to a third of the cost of education, and in the UK, due to the increase in the cost of higher education to 3.000 pounds per year, a system of subsidies has been introduced, especially for science specialties.
Considering the attractiveness of higher education from the point of view of net tuition costs after deducting grants, the researchers awarded the palm of victory to the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.
Grants are not the only form of financial support for students of Western universities. Many governments also resort to state support through flexible tax policies in this matter. Ten of the sixteen countries participating in the review provide financial benefits to students who have decided to obtain higher education and/or their families.
Another important aid for obtaining an education is student loans. Only Austria, Belgium (both parts), France, Ireland and Italy do not offer their students such an opportunity. The size of the loan varies from country to country. It is the smallest in Germany (not surprising for a country with free education), and the largest in the UK and USA. Seven countries - the UK, Sweden, the USA, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia - issue student loans without a needs test. According to statistics, in the United Kingdom most students use loan schemes, while in the USA almost half do. Up to 80% of Swedish, over 70% of Australian and 60% of New Zealand students use their right to an education loan.
Thus, having analyzed all components of the financial process of obtaining higher education, researchers at the Institute for Educational Policy concluded that the places among the 16 countries in the category "attractiveness of higher education" should be distributed as follows:
1. Sweden
2. Finland
3. Netherlands
4. Belgium (Flemish)
5. Ireland
6. Belgium (French)
7. Austria
8. Germany
9. France
10. Italy
11. Canada
12. Australia
13. USA
14. Great Britain
15. New Zealand
16. Japan
The following indicators were taken as a basis for measuring the accessibility of education:
1. The percentage of young people receiving higher education out of the total student-age population.
2. The percentage of those who received higher education compared to those who entered the first year.
3. The percentage ratio of the number of parents with higher education to children (educational conformity index). It is calculated as the ratio of the number of men aged 45-65 with higher education to the total number of students whose fathers have higher education. High values of this indicator mean that the student body reflects a healthy state of society, low values indicate a bias toward its privileged nature.
4. The ratio of male and female.
Due to the fact that the average age of students differs across countries, for the first point of the study analysts took as a basis a scheme that takes into account the maximum number of students studying continuously for four years according to national statistical data.
Using this methodology, they concluded that Finns love to study most of all (39.7% among the 21-24-year-old population). In Italy this figure was 32.4%, the main age of students is 20-23 years; in the Netherlands - 29.6%, age 19-22 years; in France - 25.2%, age 19-22 years; in Great Britain - 24.1%, age 18-21 years. The remaining countries involved in the study ranged from 22% (Australia) to 17.5% (Germany).
The percentage of those who completed higher education and received the coveted diploma is highest in the USA. It is equal to 31%. In Canada this figure is 26%, and in Australia and the Netherlands - 25%.
The 'Educational Conformity Index' revealed the Netherlands, which received 67 points, as the most attractive country in terms of obtaining higher education. Next come Great Britain (64 points), Canada and Ireland (63 points), Finland (61 points), Australia (59 points). The outsiders of this part of the study are Germany (43 points), Austria (38 points) and Belgium (37 points).
For the parameter of the ratio of men and women receiving higher education, analysts relied on UNESCO data. Germany and the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria are close to parity in this matter. In other countries, the number of female students prevails over the number of male students in a ratio of 55% to 45% or 60% to 40%.
Summing up all indicators, the researchers compiled the following ranking of accessibility of higher education among the leading countries of the world:
1. Netherlands
2. Finland
3. Great Britain
4. USA
5. Canada
6. Australia
7. Ireland
8. France
9. Sweden
10. Italy
11. Germany
12. Belgium
13. Austria
As can be seen, among countries with free higher education for local students, only the Netherlands and Finland took the top spots. Therefore, the main conclusion that suggests itself from this part of the Education Policy Institute study is that the cost of obtaining higher education is not the biggest obstacle to obtaining it. The main thing still lies in the state's interest in having more citizens with higher education and, consequently, higher incomes. And more wealthy citizens means more taxes for the state treasury. The eternal question is what the state is fighting for: so that there are no poor or so that there are no rich.
Based on materials from TsMK 'Parta'.