The University of London will soon be offering a full computer science degree for just £5,650 per year to be taught online. The course’s objective is to get more part-time, working students in higher education, since there has been a decrease in numbers of these particular types of students in the past years. It comes as Theresa May’s review of tuition fees tries to find cheaper and more flexible ways to study. The students will still have to do group work and pay an individual tuition, much like a regular student would. But these courses would be taking in a wider number of students – around 3000, a much higher number than in any regular course.
But is the primary focus is to develop a cost-efficient course, that will help universities save money rather than an affordable course that is legitimately better for employed students who need a more flexible schedule? And then there's all the other stuff students will be missing out on. What about the intrinsic parts of University life that are also a part of the experience of being student? Discussions with your tutors or your peers? Recommendations of books and exhibits? Networking that will allow to build relationships that will benefit you not only professionally, but personally as well? What the encouragement of critical think and learning for the fun of learning and being in an academic environment? That all is going to be taken should Universities continue to focus solely of cutting down costs and not on creating a stimulating and safe -and crucially, affordable - place for their students to learn and become adults. We're in danger of creating a two-tier system where the full university experience is only available to those who(se parents) can afford it.
Theresa May needs to focus on relieving the burden that young people already have when it comes to tuition fees and student debt. The costs of undergraduate education is far too high, and it does need tackling the cost in general, but that can't be at the expense of the experience, and education, students are receiving.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.