Liza takes on British students.

I need to start this out with a little disclaimer of sorts. I am not trying to simply put down the concerns of British students, but am just venting some frustration. Also, much of my information on the UK is based on conversations with British students. If it's wrong, please correct me.

As anyone who pays attention to the news will know, the UK's budget cuts will most probably lead to an increase in student fees. The increase will bumped the fees up from about £3,000 to a maximum of about £7,000. This is a big increase and UK students have every right to be upset. What I feel they have no right to do is A) complain to US students and B) argue with these US students. Why you ask?

1) US students already know all about high tuition costs. The US higher education system bankrupts it's students.  It is becoming more and more necessary for people to earn a high education degree in the US and generally the world, but the US system gives little help to students. Scholarships are available, yes. Financial aid is there, yes. However, neither of these is likely to cover all your costs unless you go to a public, in-state school and have a sizeable financial need. There is absolutely nothing wrong with public, in-state schools, but not everyone lives in a state with a university/college that will meet their academic needs. Not every state has a decent college--see Rhode Island. I'm also not trying to put down financial aid. I greatly benefited from government financial aid as an undergraduate and I would never have allowed myself to go to graduate school if I had not received aid as an undergraduate. My debt would have been twice as outrageous as they already are.

1a) £7,000 a year is still a lot less than many of our universities. Many universities cost well over $25,000 a year (including housing fees, but that still brings tuition to over $15,000 or so).

2) The British student loan system is nothing like the US's system. Even if a UK student is forced to take out student loans, they do no start paying it back until they earn a certain amount of money (£21,000 a year is the figure I was told). This is most certainly not true in the US. Student loans go into repayment 6 months after you leave school regardless of your employment status, let alone your salary. You can apply for hardship deferment, but this requires miles of red tape and they have every "right" to deny you this deferment.

I'm not saying that British students should just shut up and take this. If I could change the US system, I would. By all means, please fight for your future and the future of those that come after you. However, don't try to ram your problems down my throat. You shall not be getting any sympathy from this disgruntled American.