What does academic education cost?

[Joel]

Inspired by the talk about tuition fees in the "european degree terminology"-thread, perhaps the financial side of academic education could use an own thread? So, despite our daily proportion of intellectual food, I suppose phycists must eat: what does it cost to get an academic education in your country/university? What expenses are there; tuition fees, college fees, apartment rentals, etc. the whole deal?

And perhaps more importantly, what student benefits, health care, grant possibilities, etc. is available for students at different levels? Not to mention the whole research financing system; does universities pay for it, a science foundation, or a ministry? What about companies? How does it work?

I can start from my turf: Finns tend to brag about free education (which ought to have been proven by now ), in other words, degree students (bachelor/master) only pay a (compulsory) membership fee of around 60e per year to the student union. In exchange for that you get dinner for 2,35e, free health care (with long ques), discounts in public transports, movies, museums, etc, all this substituted by the government. All universities are financed by the state, so the costs and benefits are the same everywhere. However, tuition fees have been proposed to foreign students, so the haven is probably not eternal.

Most student unions also own apartments around the campus area, which are for rental for a reasonable price. 170e/month for "cell-apartments" (shared kitchen and bathroom with a couple of others and an own room) and up to 500e for family apartments (40m^2 - 60m^2 and a family required).

Being an undergraduate I am not that familiar with the research founding, but this site ought to be enlightening: http://www.aka.fi/modules/page/show_page.asp?id=582F97D274F54AB6A84ACF584C056B06 The academy of finland administers most of the government's research founding and distributes it through various programs. Most of the graduate schools (to which you apply with a master or MD to get your phd) get their founding from the academy and upon admission to them you also get founding (around 1000e - 1500e/month for 3-4 years). Of course, companies tend to pay much better and nothing prevents you from having a suitable sexy mentor in the industry, instead of that dusty professor. (No offence intended, but I am a dust-allergic ). Speaking of which, our babyboomer-professors are about to retire and there are wild predictions about the number of soon-to-be open academic posts - that, however, probably will go to hotshot foreigners in stead of me.

 

[cronxeh]

well there are really 3-4 different college systems in the US. costs vary by state and by type of school.

community or junior colleges - cheapest - and only offers associate or 2 year degrees, but you can apply to 4-year colleges/universities and continue as a junior

city colleges - can be as cheap as cc but offers bachelors degrees and some even graduate degrees (CUNY CCNY)

state colleges and universities- tend to be a bit more costly and offer whole range of degrees (from associate to phd) - this is where the bulk of professors usually comes from (e.g.: UCLA, UCBerkley, OSU, SUNY, Rutgers, etc)

private universities - expensive to very expensive. depends on who you ask, tends to be the elite of higher education in the US. offers bachelors and graduate degrees. (e.g.: cornell, mit, columbia, harvard, etc)

www.princetonreview.com for all your info on any particular school

 

[hhegab]

The cost of academic education varies greatly depending on the country and university. In my country, Finland, academic education is free for degree students (bachelor and master). However, there is a compulsory membership fee of around 60 euros per year to the student union. This fee grants students access to various benefits such as discounted meals, free healthcare (with long queues), and discounts on public transportation, movies, and museums. These benefits are subsidized by the government.

In terms of expenses, most student unions also own apartments that are available for rental at a reasonable price. The cost for a shared apartment with a private bedroom is around 170 euros per month, while family apartments can cost up to 500 euros per month.

Research funding in Finland is mainly administered by the Academy of Finland, which distributes government funding through various programs. Graduate schools, where students can pursue their PhD, also receive funding from the academy. Upon admission to a graduate school, students also receive a monthly stipend of around 1000-1500 euros for 3-4 years. However, many students also have the opportunity to receive funding from companies, which can be more lucrative.

In terms of job prospects, there is a predicted increase in academic positions as many baby boomer professors are set to retire. However, there is also a possibility that these positions may be filled by foreign candidates. Overall, the cost of academic education in Finland is relatively low, and students have access to various benefits and funding opportunities.