Britons pay more for education

27.08.2005 Britain may be the third most expensive country to study in, according to a recent report by the Global Higher Education Rankings, but this is not deterring students. It still has the third highest participation rate of the fifteen countries which the report compared.

However, with the introduction of ₤3000 top-up tuition fees in September 2005, it is likely that the affordability ranking of Britain will fall even further.

The average cost of student life in Britain is ₤6763, according to a study conducted by the Royal Bank of Scotland. In comparison to countries with high costs like America, Britain’s grants are relatively small. The average British student can expect to receive ₤597 in a grant, compared to Americans, who receives the equivalent of ₤2120. However, students in Japan face an even harder deal. An average student there pays a whopping ₤8930 per year and receives no grants to help along the way.

The cost of studying in Britain contrasts starkly to studying in other European countries. In Finland, students pay an average of ₤1820 per year. Close behind is Holland at just ₤1826, followed by Sweden at ₤2186. The remaining countries which were compared in the report ranged in their costs from around ₤3000 to ₤4000 per year.