Tuition is charged by educational institutions to assist with funding of staff and faculty, course offerings, lab equipment, computer systems, libraries, facility upkeeping, and to provide a comfortable learning experience for its students.
Some methods students use to pay tuition include
Table of contents |
2 Canadian Tuition 3 Sources |
It is interesting to understand the historical basis for tuition. In ancient times, many teachers were self-employed philosophers who offered their wisdom to those willing to listen to them. Students were then asked to offer money for the teacher's subsistance. For example, Confucius is reputed to have been the first among the Chinese to support himself by teaching.
This is in contrast to customs in tribal people where it was usual for elders to undertake education of children. In modern times, many developed countries have adopted a dual scheme for education: while basic (ie. high school) education is free, higher education is usually given for a fee or tuition.
Tuition raises interesting questions about the divisions between the rich and poor. It is well-known that high tuitions are a deterrent to students wishing to undertake higher education. This level of deterrence is not unfamiliar with the financial capacities of the student and his family; effectively, students from richer families will be able to afford more expensive education.
There is also substantial evidence that education levels are primordial in determining salary. This leads to the natural conclusion that higher tuition rates are an important factor of the low permeability between social classes: children of rich parents tend to be rich themselves, and poorer families yield poor children. This in turn can cause class tensions and an increasing gap between rich and poor. Even in countries where tuition fees have generally been much lower than average, the general trend has been towards marked increases in tuition. For example, Canada has seen its tuition fees more than double in the last ten years.
Facts and Figures
Historical and social context
Canadian Tuition
Sources