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University fees

University fees is a subject close to the hearts (and pockets) of most students.  The NI Executive plans to cap fees at £3,500 for home and other EU students from 2012.  Students from the rest of the UK will be charged up to £9,000.  English taxpayers who provide huge annual subventions to the Northern Irish public purse are bound to be chagrined by this pricing policy.  Notably, this discriminatory pricing policy is being challenged in the courts. 

Across the Atlantic, students in the US can expect to pay $20,000 per annum for mediocre colleges.  However, large endowments  and needs-blind admission policies ensure that talented individuals from less privileged backgrounds can attend a US college.  

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