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On the contrary, this enables poor people to go to university and stop being poor. As another person noted, where the money is coming from is a separate issue,

On the contrary, this enables poor people to go to university and stop being poor. As another person noted, where the money is coming from is a separate issue, namely your tax policies. In Sweden the more you earn, the higher percentage of your wages goes to taxes, so at least here it's subsidised by the upper and middle classes more than the lower classes(under a certain wage there is no tax at all, though I can't recall the number right now)

collyw 6y ago
In what way does the British system I describe stop poor people going to university?
- amarant 6y ago
  I was mostly answering the first half of your comment, about the poor subsidising the middle class. The UK system is fine, I think subsidies are better, as poor people might feel discouraged to take on more debt, and student debt isn't really desirable for anyone. I don't think people should be in debt by default, neither do I think they should be uneducated by default. That said in Sweden we actually have a combined system of subsidies and special student loans that very much resemble the UK system you describe.
  - collyw 6y ago
    I was replying to your first sentence > On the contrary, this enables poor people to go to university and stop being poor.
Opinionator2021 6y ago
But don't you have a bunch of non-STEM graduates working as baristas like in USA?
- amarant 6y ago
  Probably, does it matter? Most people who do that do it because it seems fun, and then move on once they realize working for tips isn't ideal. But that's besides the point. The point is the populace is on average better educated, leading to, on average, higher salaries. Poverty in Sweden is ridiculously low, mostly because of this. (The welfare system helps too). And yes we export a lot of educated people to other countries, real experts who decide to live abroad, and therefore don't pay taxes on Sweden. That's fine too, being educated shouldn't come at the cost of your freedom.

collyw 6y ago

In what way does the British system I describe stop poor people going to university?

amarant 6y ago
I was mostly answering the first half of your comment, about the poor subsidising the middle class. The UK system is fine, I think subsidies are better, as poor people might feel discouraged to take on more debt, and student debt isn't really desirable for anyone. I don't think people should be in debt by default, neither do I think they should be uneducated by default. That said in Sweden we actually have a combined system of subsidies and special student loans that very much resemble the UK system you describe.
- collyw 6y ago
  I was replying to your first sentence > On the contrary, this enables poor people to go to university and stop being poor.

Opinionator2021 6y ago

But don't you have a bunch of non-STEM graduates working as baristas like in USA?

amarant 6y ago
Probably, does it matter? Most people who do that do it because it seems fun, and then move on once they realize working for tips isn't ideal. But that's besides the point. The point is the populace is on average better educated, leading to, on average, higher salaries. Poverty in Sweden is ridiculously low, mostly because of this. (The welfare system helps too). And yes we export a lot of educated people to other countries, real experts who decide to live abroad, and therefore don't pay taxes on Sweden. That's fine too, being educated shouldn't come at the cost of your freedom.