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[Owlbread]

Oxbridge don't charge more than any other university, really.  Although they are fairly expensive towns.

It was a bit more expensive for us because of our location, and generally we wouldn't have been able to cope with English-style tuition fees. It would have been the same if I'd gone to Durham or something, as you say.

Don't get me wrong though - I'm happy with where I went. This was all a bit of a "First world problem" anyway.

[Leafsnail]

English tuition fees shouldn't discourage you from studying if you're from the EU - the loan is really more like a minor graduate tax you don't pay anything on unless you're earning over 21k (for other people's benefit, not yours)

[MaximumZero]

Nah, somewhere in the 10-12 year range they become semi-useful-ish until about high school graduation, at which point it goes back to negative usefulness until they start making some money themselves.

Also, going to certain colleges out of state is an expression of decadence. My sister's friend's father likened it to driving a Mercedes off a cliff each year

I could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge but my family worked out it would cost us about 9000 pounds a year, plus accomodation/travel. You need to be made of money for such things.

From the University of Michigan's student aid webpage:

Estimated student budgets reflect typical "modest but adequate" expense patterns of University of Michigan students based on research conducted by the Office of Financial Aid. Enrollment level, number of completed credits, major field of study and room and board options all contribute to the determination of their costs. While actual expenses will depend on your lifestyle and level of enrollment, the estimated costs listed on this page should assist you in planning your own budget.

For the lower level (Freshman/Sophomore) in-state students, they're estimating costs of $25,848, or 16,591GBP for the Fall/Winter 2013/2014 semester. For Out-of-state students, it's $51,976, or 33,356 pounds.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Seriously. No offense, but it's infuriating whenever I see people in the UK complaining about their extremely low tuition fees.

[frostshotgg]

I'm looking at the 9000 pounds for Oxford and thinking that you must mean just tuition, and not full costs like room and board. My brother went to a mediocre in-state university, and he paid that much for just tuition, and it's definitely a much poorer school than oxford or cambridge.

[RedWarrior0]

Oh, probably.

Then again, I'm pretty sure that $25-50k is also before room and board. Like I said, out of state tuition is like taking a new car and driving it off a cliff each year. The metaphor is even more apt because U-M was the school I was talking about.

[MaximumZero]

Oh, probably.

Then again, I'm pretty sure that $25-50k is also before room and board. Like I said, out of state tuition is like taking a new car and driving it off a cliff each year. The metaphor is even more apt because U-M was the school I was talking about.

Nah, it includes a modest room and board. Just tuition, not including books, is $13k/8300GBP for in-state, and $40k/26kGBP.
That's still way higher than it should be.

[RedWarrior0]

As for decadence, the location of my sister's commencement (some hugeass stadium) and her departmental graduation ceremony (The oldest movie theater I've ever been in) probably count.

[ed boy]

Oxbridge don't charge more than any other university, really.  Although they are fairly expensive towns.

As an Oxford student, I can confirm this. Oxford is probably the second most expensive city to live in as a student in the UK after London, in terms of accomodation prices and the like. However, the cost of tuition is the same here as at most other universities, plus Oxford has the best bursary scheme in the country so tuition often works out cheaper than elsewhere.

[Owlbread]

As an Oxford student, I can confirm this. Oxford is probably the second most expensive city to live in as a student in the UK after London, in terms of accomodation prices and the like. However, the cost of tuition is the same here as at most other universities, plus Oxford has the best bursary scheme in the country so tuition often works out cheaper than elsewhere.

Our problem was I wasn't eligible for any of the bursaries. My family was net rich but cash poor - everything went into the debts. As much as I'm going to annoy MetalSlimeHunt by saying it, we would have been crippled with English style university costs (in general I mean). You'll notice I didn't consider Harvard.

But yes, the Americans have my sympathies. You gentlemen pay an inordinate amount of money. All this "college fund" stuff I keep hearing about as well.

[FearfulJesuit]

When I was looking at colleges last year, it was a choice between URochester and UOklahoma. URochester had a linguistics department I hit it off really well with, but would have cost me about $15k/year in loans. UOklahoma had a great social scene, several Native American language courses, a decent but not stellar linguistics department, and a loan cost of about $2500/year.

I took Oklahoma. And I am so, so glad I did.

[RedKing]

Boomer Sooner! (not an alum, but a couple of close friends are).


Most decadent thing I've ever had (not purchased) was probably a "business lunch" in Shanghai. One of the guys I was with knew a guy who knew a guy whose dad golfed with this guy (not joking....it was that tenuous of a connection) so he took us all out to lunch (6 of us) at one of the finest paces in Shanghai. Caught a glance of the final tally, and it was in the 5-digit range, so at least $350-400 at minimum. It was an 11-course "lunch". 

[MaximumZero]

Boomer Sooner! (not an alum, but a couple of close friends are).


Most decadent thing I've ever had (not purchased) was probably a "business lunch" in Shanghai. One of the guys I was with knew a guy who knew a guy whose dad golfed with this guy (not joking....it was that tenuous of a connection) so he took us all out to lunch (6 of us) at one of the finest paces in Shanghai. Caught a glance of the final tally, and it was in the 5-digit range, so at least $350-400 at minimum. It was an 11-course "lunch". 

Good gravy, that is ridiculous.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

That's China's business culture for you.

[FearfulJesuit]

I want this. I want this so, so badly.