I'm not sure what to make of the recent student protests in the UK against the university fee rise. It's great that they're speaking out and all that but as some commentators have pointed out, there doesn't seem to be a coherent message coming through from them.
The basic problem is that too many people want to go to university but there's not enough funding to support them. Currently only 29% of universities' total funding come from fees, with 35% coming from the government and the rest from grants, endowments and investments.
If the fees remain capped at their current level of around £3,000, where's the rest of the money going to be sourced? Some groups are simply demanding that we magic up education for free but in reality, it costs money and someone, somewhere, has to pay for it.
Reducing the number of students doesn't seem to be an option for many protesters so the only other likely funding source is the government. And where does the government get its money? Though taxing its citizens. Ironically, even if they get what they want, the students will still have to pay the cost in some way. The only difference is that the payments will be less transparent.
