It has now been several months since the new tuition fees for international students went into effect. Lundagård takes a look at some of the policy’s effects thus far.
Vedra Korobar, a student of Human Ecology from Macedonia, wanted to come to Sweden in 2010. Being rejected on her first application, however, forced her to try again a year later. This time, fee complications accompanied the process.
–My second attempt was much more complicated because I had to find a way to finance my education, said Vedra.
Ultimately, it was a scholarship which made Vedra’s education possible.
— Swedish universities make only two to three scholarships available to students from the entire Balkan area each year, making the competition extremely high. I was lucky to earn a scholarship from the EU. Otherwise, I would not have bothered to apply.
Vedra’s story corresponds with how Jakob Gustavsson, a program administrator in the department of political science, views the tuition fee effects.
— We witnessed a steep decline — about 80 percent — in applications from non-EU students, likely because of the new fees. One effect is that Swedes now compose a far larger proportion of our International Masters Programs than ever before, said Jakob.
Vedra does not consider this outcome surprising.
— Even those few from the Balkans who can afford a Swedish education would not go to Sweden because for the same price, they can study at more prominent universities in the UK. Basically, the tuition fees drive away both students who can and cannot afford it, she said.
Vedra added that the tuition fees especially
harm the international Masters Programs, which are designed to approach topics from international perspectives.
— Most of the students are from the EU, which reduces the richness of diverse cultural backgrounds and viewpoints, she explained.
At Lund University’s central administration, the tuition fee introduction has been more of a paperwork headache.
— Before the fees were implemented, we struggled to determine how much to charge for each program and course, and our staff is also getting used to all the additional paperwork of processing fee-paying students. The fees have brought interesting developments, and for us is a new way to look at education, said Daniel Gunnarson, who works for the university’s international desk and external relations.
On the bright side, fee-paying students do seem satisfied with the education they are getting.
— I have been happy with the education quality so far. My first course was excellent and provided a great overview that I can build on later in my studies, said Talib Jabbar, an American Masters student in Social Welfare Policies.
Talib might represent the type of student which Lund’s central administration longs to have more of. His decision to study in Sweden was based purely in educational interests.
— My program’s uniqueness in its approach was the primary reason I applied for it, as well as the opportunity to gain a completely different perspective on social policy. I had heard that [Swedish] education was previously free, but that did not factor into my decision, as my operating budget was above the fee levels anyway.
International students who lack that financial comfort, however, might continue to be absent from Lund’s student life in coming years.
