High tuition fees discourage women from studying
Karin S. Fester
November 07, 2006
More and more these days as tuition fees for higher education increases, it makes one wonder if it is worth the price to pay. When a public university demands anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 dollars for annual tuition fees, not to mention the private universities' astronomical fees, no wonder so many American women are left with a feeling of hopelessness about career aspirations. There are women who take the attitude that it is not worth spending money on themselves for a technical school or university education, and some how they think that merely having the minimum legal required schooling level certificate (G.E.D.), or self-educating themselves, will get them a good paying job. I don’t think that this is necessarily a good position to take, although I can understand why they think in this way. I am of the opinion that everyone needs to have some sort of certified education to train them adequately so they can earn a living and have a good quality of life. Since, I have lived both in the U.S.A. and here in Europe, and have observed the differences in costs of education in various countries outside the U.S.A., I feel I am in the position to at least offer my two cents worth on the matter.
Just because education is expensive, it does not however justify discouraging women or let a woman discourage herself from trying to enter technical schools and universities to study for careers. To discourage education for women is like going back into the dark ages, i.e. it is like saying it is not worth spending money on woman’s education or that women don’t need to be educated. If there are obstacles, then the way to deal with it is to find solutions, rather than to take an elimination attitude and one of hopelessness. Now I will use myself as an example. I worked my way through and graduated from The Ohio State University in the biosciences, despite paying out-of-state tuition. Then I worked my way up through graduate school. I succeeded. It was tough. I never regreted it and being an Ohio State University graduate has always opened many doors for my career both in the USA and here in Europe. A person has to have a strong will, plus a strong work ethic in order to succeed if they want to reach their goals. Women cannot simply use the “too expensive” excuse. The fact that there are women who have overcome financial hurdles and succeeded in reaching their goals, does mean it can be done. But at the same time it does not mean everyone can always do it. However, as costs continue to rise it will be more difficult to do so.
Then, there is another factor we have not even considered: will-power. Maybe some women are just too lazy to want to succeed. People might have a desire to do something, but do they have the will to act on their desire to actually make things happen? Do some women just look for a ways to make excuses—they instead want things to be ‘easy’ for them and to be ‘cared for’—rather than being dedicated and determined in sustaining self-sufficiency through difficult times while working towards a goal? I have met many women in my life who always complain about the money factor, but then I wonder sometimes, especially when I see them spending money on expensive clothes, cosmetics and other things. I may be wrong about the ‘lazy factor’, but it is something to think about.
On the other hand you could also say, well the U.S.A. has very high education costs in comparison to Europe overall. Yes, that is true. One positive fact to highlight about Europe is that the costs of education are lower here in comparison to the U.S.A.. Then there are those who would assume that because tuition is lower in Europe that the quality of the education is proportionately lower as well. Lower tuition fees do not necessarily translate into lower quality education. We all know that a big ten university in the U.S.A. costs less than an Ivy League school and the quality is not dependent on a name alone. There is outstanding education here in Europe too. High quality university education is financially ‘accessible’ here in Europe, i.e. without having to pay high costs. For example, in Denmark and Germany, access to higher education, i.e. university education, technical school is “free”. In these countries if a woman (or man) wants to become a doctor there are no financial hurdles to climb, only the intellectual and will-power hurdle. And, in this regard Denmark is probably the more democratic in the EU because it provides women and men with accessibility to “free” higher education (no age discrimmination) as well as providing grant money for living costs. For example, in Denmark, ‘all’ students (citizens and legal residents), regardless of social-economic background, receive free tuition whether attending the gymnasium (known as highschool in America), or technical school, or university (up to postgraduate), and receive a monthly stipend for the duration of their studies. These are facts. If some European Union countries like Denmark and Germany can provide free education to their ‘citizens’ and ‘legal residents’ , then why can’t other countries do it as well? Why can’t the U.S.A? The profession of nursing would be a good point to highlight here. There is a shortage of nurses in the U.S.A. like there is in Europe (EU). In many EU countries nurse education and training is provided for free and even a salary is paid while in training ! Could one imagine how many women (and men) might register for courses in the U.S.A. if they could obtain free nurse vocational training? It would open doors of opportunity to so many people and increase their quality of life.
Society needs to explore innovative ways to increase women’s access to higher education, which ultimately will lead to improving their quality of life overall. Finding solutions to fighting high education costs are not easy. However, one has to wonder ‘why’ some countries are able to offer more progressive education policies and others just don’t.
Just because education is expensive, it does not however justify discouraging women or let a woman discourage herself from trying to enter technical schools and universities to study for careers. To discourage education for women is like going back into the dark ages, i.e. it is like saying it is not worth spending money on woman’s education or that women don’t need to be educated. If there are obstacles, then the way to deal with it is to find solutions, rather than to take an elimination attitude and one of hopelessness. Now I will use myself as an example. I worked my way through and graduated from The Ohio State University in the biosciences, despite paying out-of-state tuition. Then I worked my way up through graduate school. I succeeded. It was tough. I never regreted it and being an Ohio State University graduate has always opened many doors for my career both in the USA and here in Europe. A person has to have a strong will, plus a strong work ethic in order to succeed if they want to reach their goals. Women cannot simply use the “too expensive” excuse. The fact that there are women who have overcome financial hurdles and succeeded in reaching their goals, does mean it can be done. But at the same time it does not mean everyone can always do it. However, as costs continue to rise it will be more difficult to do so.
Then, there is another factor we have not even considered: will-power. Maybe some women are just too lazy to want to succeed. People might have a desire to do something, but do they have the will to act on their desire to actually make things happen? Do some women just look for a ways to make excuses—they instead want things to be ‘easy’ for them and to be ‘cared for’—rather than being dedicated and determined in sustaining self-sufficiency through difficult times while working towards a goal? I have met many women in my life who always complain about the money factor, but then I wonder sometimes, especially when I see them spending money on expensive clothes, cosmetics and other things. I may be wrong about the ‘lazy factor’, but it is something to think about.
On the other hand you could also say, well the U.S.A. has very high education costs in comparison to Europe overall. Yes, that is true. One positive fact to highlight about Europe is that the costs of education are lower here in comparison to the U.S.A.. Then there are those who would assume that because tuition is lower in Europe that the quality of the education is proportionately lower as well. Lower tuition fees do not necessarily translate into lower quality education. We all know that a big ten university in the U.S.A. costs less than an Ivy League school and the quality is not dependent on a name alone. There is outstanding education here in Europe too. High quality university education is financially ‘accessible’ here in Europe, i.e. without having to pay high costs. For example, in Denmark and Germany, access to higher education, i.e. university education, technical school is “free”. In these countries if a woman (or man) wants to become a doctor there are no financial hurdles to climb, only the intellectual and will-power hurdle. And, in this regard Denmark is probably the more democratic in the EU because it provides women and men with accessibility to “free” higher education (no age discrimmination) as well as providing grant money for living costs. For example, in Denmark, ‘all’ students (citizens and legal residents), regardless of social-economic background, receive free tuition whether attending the gymnasium (known as highschool in America), or technical school, or university (up to postgraduate), and receive a monthly stipend for the duration of their studies. These are facts. If some European Union countries like Denmark and Germany can provide free education to their ‘citizens’ and ‘legal residents’ , then why can’t other countries do it as well? Why can’t the U.S.A? The profession of nursing would be a good point to highlight here. There is a shortage of nurses in the U.S.A. like there is in Europe (EU). In many EU countries nurse education and training is provided for free and even a salary is paid while in training ! Could one imagine how many women (and men) might register for courses in the U.S.A. if they could obtain free nurse vocational training? It would open doors of opportunity to so many people and increase their quality of life.
Society needs to explore innovative ways to increase women’s access to higher education, which ultimately will lead to improving their quality of life overall. Finding solutions to fighting high education costs are not easy. However, one has to wonder ‘why’ some countries are able to offer more progressive education policies and others just don’t.
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