ESIB (The National Unions of Students in Europe) considers the budgetary cuts in
expenditure for higher education in European countries are endangering the welfare of
students. Because of the budget cuts, students have to face problems concerning finances,
housing and mobility.
There is a danger of decreasing quality in higher education because on one hand the
institutions of higher education have less money and on the other hand students have to
work to afford to study and consequently they can not spend enough time on studying.
It is a fundamental citizens´ right to have ´free and equal access to higher education
independent of social and economical background. The governments should recognise
their obligation to be the primary investors in higher education and student welfare thus
recognising the great importance of higher education in creating a society with equal
opportunities for all sit citizens. Next to society as a whole the major beneficiaries of
higher education are the students and the industry. All the beneficiaries have a role to
play in the student welfare system.
Students should be seen as individual and autonomous citizens. Thus society should
recognise the individual needs of students and take the responsibility to establish
supporting systems offering each student possibilities to choose between a variety of
possible solutions (e.g. housing, health, etc).
It’s important that people with different needs, for example disabled students or students
with children, can have equal opportunity to access to higher education as people without
these needs. Government should consider the needs of these people in higher education.