# FILE NAME: 00001815.soc
# TITLE: Should university education be free? [6c8f06bb78439b19702c10be4f1aafb3]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - We agree that the fees at the current £27,000 are too high for a great majority of the population. We feel that a reduction in fees would allow more people to go to university. We do not feel that university education should be free to the student, however, we do feel that the student should not have to take the maximum amount in student loans and that universities should provide more grants and bursaries to students from lower socio-economic groups. We felt that the group produced a good consensus opinion but that it would benefit from some further debate so the group was able to identify some improvements. Discussion What the group deemed to be the most effective aspects of the consensus Delphi
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - The cost of university is a barrier to many students in accessing a higher education. However, no system will ever be a complete and perfect way to provide a university education to all those who deserve it. It is likely that some people will be able to afford to go to university while others of equal merit will not be able to go. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are already being encouraged to access higher education through the provision of scholarships and bursaries. Making higher education free to access will probably not remove all barriers for those from a lower socio-economic background who are disadvantaged due to their upbringing. If everyone goes to university, then the value of a degree will diminish in the long term and we risk forcing many people into an education system that will not benefit them in the long run. It is also acknowledged that the increase in price of university education is a deterrent to many, but not all.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - University education should not be free, but should be accessible to all. This can be achieved by providing more grants and bursaries to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This would allow more people to access university education and also reduce the amount of debt that students are left with after graduating.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - University education should not be free. A degree is something that should be needed to get into the career you want and should at least have some weighting towards meaningfulness and be worthwhile in the long run as you end up with a high paying career that you couldn't otherwise have met. With no fees the universities wouldn't be able to sustain either the quality of education or the facilities that are available to students. The consensus opinion of the group was that university education should not be free, however, the group did agree that university education should be more accessible to people from all walks of life. The group felt that this could be achieved by providing more grants and bursaries to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The group felt that this would allow more people to access university education and also reduce the amount of debt that students are left with after graduating.
2: 2,4,1,3
1: 3,2,1,4
1: 1,2,3,4
1: 1,4,2,3