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Should UK students be charged university fees?
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Higher education fees leave students with psychological burden

Charging students high fees can severely impact their mental health.

Context

In recent years there has been a push to improve not only people's physical health, but also their mental health. Increasingly, studies suggest that our financial health can have a big impact on our mental health; as those with the least money report more feelings of anxiety and depression [1] If debt can lead to psychological problems, then fees may not only harm student's opportunities but also their health.

The Argument

Even though the current system effectively means that those who earn below £21,000 will not have to pay back their student loan, simply the thought of such a crushing debt can be problematic. For those who have to borrow the entire sum of their fees, and whose parents cannot contribute financially, such a debt burden in itself is problematic. There are frequent reports of students who have claimed that the quantity of money they owed deepened their mental health issues.

Counter arguments

Whilst debt and depression are linked, often depression can lead to an accumulation of debt from poor decision-making [[1]

Proponents

Premises

P1. Debt causes depression and anxiety. P2. Tuition fees create debt. P3. Ergo, tuition fees cause depression and anxiety.

Rejecting the premises

If premise one is false, in that depression causes debt rather than vice versa, then this could be disproved.

References

  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47693725
This page was last edited on Friday, 17 Apr 2020 at 10:02 UTC

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