3 ms·

Hold on, what incentive does the EU have to allow US citizens to just go to the EU, get a 4-year education, with full room & board, and then possibly head back

Hold on, what incentive does the EU have to allow US citizens to just go to the EU, get a 4-year education, with full room & board, and then possibly head back to the US? Color me skeptical.

jpatokal 11y ago
Only tuition is free, full room & board have to be paid for.
pgeorgi 11y ago
Winning the hearts and minds, perhaps? It's probably cheaper than trying to compete with Hollywood.
mrweasel 11y ago
It's not full room and board. My university (in Denmark) had a large number of eastern European students it created a very different environment, a better one in my opinion. Students are exposed to different ideas, different approaches to solving programs and learn to work together with people with a different background and culture. Of cause my university focused heavily on group assignment and working in groups in general. I honestly don't mind that my tax money is spend on education people from around the world, although I think it's currently only free for EU citizens. And perhaps there's the added bonus of a few opting to stay and work in the country.
- Squarel 11y ago
  I agree. I am also in Denmark, and my university has a number of students from eastern Europe, Russia, South America, Iran, China, as well as those on scholarships from developing nations, and exchange students from the US and Canada. (I suspect we may have attended the same university, as mine also focused heavily on semester projects (50% of the ECTS) and group work)
mcv 11y ago
Didn't the article say it costs the country only about $13,000 per student per year? If only a few of those students stay in Germany and pay taxes there, it's already worth it. And even if they return home, they'll be more comfortable doing business with Germany, which may still be worth it in the long run. And you get to export some of your culture and values. It's not a bad investment at all. But ultimately, it's about making sure the next generation has access to good education, and how can you really put a price on that?

Hold on, what incentive does the EU have to allow US citizens to just go to the EU, get a 4-year education, with full room & board, and then possibly head back to the US? Color me skeptical.

jpatokal 11y ago

Only tuition is free, full room & board have to be paid for.

pgeorgi 11y ago

Winning the hearts and minds, perhaps? It's probably cheaper than trying to compete with Hollywood.

mrweasel 11y ago

It's not full room and board. My university (in Denmark) had a large number of eastern European students it created a very different environment, a better one in my opinion. Students are exposed to different ideas, different approaches to solving programs and learn to work together with people with a different background and culture. Of cause my university focused heavily on group assignment and working in groups in general. I honestly don't mind that my tax money is spend on education people from around the world, although I think it's currently only free for EU citizens. And perhaps there's the added bonus of a few opting to stay and work in the country.

Squarel 11y ago
I agree. I am also in Denmark, and my university has a number of students from eastern Europe, Russia, South America, Iran, China, as well as those on scholarships from developing nations, and exchange students from the US and Canada. (I suspect we may have attended the same university, as mine also focused heavily on semester projects (50% of the ECTS) and group work)

mcv 11y ago

Didn't the article say it costs the country only about $13,000 per student per year? If only a few of those students stay in Germany and pay taxes there, it's already worth it. And even if they return home, they'll be more comfortable doing business with Germany, which may still be worth it in the long run. And you get to export some of your culture and values. It's not a bad investment at all. But ultimately, it's about making sure the next generation has access to good education, and how can you really put a price on that?