Should UK students be charged university fees?

Charging students is the fairest way to fund universities.

Question: Should UK students be charged university fees?
Position‹2 of 2: Yes, the UK should charge for access to its higher education institutions.
Argument1 of 4›: Charging students is the fairest way to fund universities.

Charging students means that those who don't benefit from higher education don't have to pay for it.

The argument

In the current system, only the students who go to uni, and thus reap the financial and social advantages, are the ones who pay for it. It would be unfair for those in manual, lesser-paid jobs to pay for this service through taxation, seeing as they get no gain from it. Furthermore, as the students will benefit from the research done in their department, it is only fair to ask them to help contribute to the work done there.

Context

The average female graduate will earn, in her lifetime, £250,000 more than a peer who does not go to university. As a result, she should help fund higher education, rather than the lesser-paid peer.

Premises

[P1]Only the students who attend university reap its financial and social advantages. [P2] It would be unfair to make people in manual, lower-paid jobs fund through taxation a service from which they gain nothing. [P3] Since students also benefit from the research carried out in their departments, it is fair to ask them to help pay for it. [C] Therefore, because charging students is the fairest way to fund universities, the UK should charge for access to higher education.

Counter-arguments

The argument that not only the student benefits is countered by the 'public good' debate. Return to the main argument page to view this.

Rejecting the premises

Rejecting P1. It is not only the student that benefits.