Debate on higher tuition fees gains momentum

In the face of the economic downturn, French higher education is beginning to debate openly the prospect of introducing higher tuition fees – but university presidents warn that the country must boost scholarships and state funding before making any change, writes Clea Caulcutt for Times Higher Education.

The debate was sparked by comments made by Louis Vogel, head of France's Conference of University Presidents, which have lifted the lid on the highly contentious issue. "If we do introduce [higher] fees, they must be lower at the undergraduate level and higher at the masters and PhD level," he said. "It is our duty to encourage as many young people as possible to study and it is in those undergraduate courses that we have the most students from disadvantaged backgrounds."
Full report on the Times Higher Education site