Degree Year

2010

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

Advisor(s)

Hirschel Kasper

Committee Member(s)

Barbara Craig, Chair
Jordan Suter
Tobias Pfutze
Viplav Saini
Ellis Tallman
Alberto Ortiz Bolaños

Keywords

Tuition, UK, England, Scotland, Education, Tuition change, Education policy, Higher education

Abstract

In this paper I investigate the relationship between tuition fees and enrollment in higher education; in particular, the effect that the abolishment of upfront tuition fees (which were replaced by a graduate payment scheme) in Scotland for Scottish students had on their enrollment rate into universities in England. Several explanations have been offered as to why tuition response might be relatively large. Tuition is the most visible college price, and it is the one that is most inescapable. College tuitions are conspicuous, and students are unusually conscious of them. Annual increases generally are well publicized and often debated publicly. In this study, I look at two reasons why Scottish students may switch to Scottish universities after the up-front tuition was abolished. The first is that those who would have gone to university in England would switch to Scottish university as a result of the lower price. The second is that some who would not have participated prior to the reforms now do. This latter reason addresses the barriers to entry for students on the margin, which tuition fees create. I hypothesize that the abolishment of upfront fees in Scotland will increase participation of both the students and the possible students in Scottish universities in Scotland. I find that the tuition change had a small but significant effect on the switching students, a larger effect on the marginal student, and that both effects were strongly influenced by distance from Scottish border.

Download

Included in

Economics Commons

Share

COinS