WHAT'S A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WORTH?

WHAT'S A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WORTH?
Every year, it costs British students more and more to attend university. Students
are graduating with larger and larger debts. So, is a university degree really worth it?
In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to
charge British students tuition fees. As a result, more than 80% of students in England
and Wales now take out a student loan (16) .............. . They use the loan to pay for
tuition fees, books and living expenses. The average student in England and Wales
now graduates from university (17) ….……. . Students of medicine, who study for
longer, usually have debts of more than £20,000. That is a lot of money. It means
graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years. They even struggle to pay rent
on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan after graduating (or
after leaving a course). If you start to earn over £15,000 a year, the government takes
repayments directly (18) ……………… . Is it any surprise, therefore, that the average
British person does not leave their parents' home until they are 30 years old?
You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a wellpaid
job. However, most people in «white-соllar jobs» seem to have a degree these
days, (19) ……………. . Also, British companies tend to value work experience over
a piece of paper. Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and
work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often overqualified
for the work they are doing.
(20)…………….. , they had dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job.
Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates.
Students have always been seen as not having a lot of money, but «student
poverty» is now considered a real problem in the UK. Most British students expect to
get a loan, part-time job or summer job. Worse than that, however, is the fact student
leaders report there are increasing numbers of students (21) ………….. to support
themselves financially.
A from your monthly salary
В in order to go to university
C for students from other countries
D While at university
E turning to crime
F left for British students
G with debts of around £12,000
H so there is a lot of competition