Band 9 essay sample: Should governments fund higher education?

Essay prompt

University students should pay for their own education instead of the society or government funding their studies. After all their education benefits them more than it benefits the society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion.

Sample essay

Some people believe that students should pay their fees themselves instead of expecting the government to fund their studies. In their opinion, young graduates are more interested in achieving their personal goals than working for the welfare of the society. I beg to differ. In my opinion, youngsters do care for the society.

Students may benefit the society in many ways. Many of them engage in voluntary work. Even school children work for NGOs. Young graduates who find good jobs also help the society. They often help their juniors with career planning. Some even help needy students with monetary assistance. What’s more, over the years there has been a dramatic fall in the number of emigrants. This is a clear sign that more and more youngsters now want to work for the society that funded their education.

There would be an increase in crime if the government did not fund higher education. Without government funding many students would not be able to continue their studies. They may get into illegal activities. They might even indulge in robbery, theft and substance abuse. To further illustrate this, I would like to give an example. In some parts of North India there was an increase in crime when students stopped receiving government aid for continuing their studies.

To sum up, we have seen what would happen if the government stopped funding higher education. It is true that not all students who received funding work for the welfare of the society, but most of them do. Without government funding, many students will not be able to afford higher education. This will lead to unemployment and an increase in crime. Therefore, I firmly believe that government should fund university studies.