Fees have long been a controversial issue in higher education policy. As Eurydice’s ‘National student fee and support systems in European higher education’ publication shows, there are major differences in approach, ranging from countries with no fees to those charging considerable sums to all students. But what has happened during the pandemic? Did students continue to pay? And did the shift to online learning affect the value of the degrees that they were awarded? In the first of two linked articles, we explore this question with Emilia Kitsiou, a postgraduate student at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) 

What does a “value for money degree” mean to you?

I completed my 2-year Master’s degree at the Free University of Brussels in 2021, paying fees of €835 per year. I would say that my expectations for a value for money degree were met, and even exceeded, despite the pandemic. Even though I was not totally satisfied with all my courses, and there is certainly room for improving some of the university facilities, overall the degree offered good value for money.

From my personal experience, the criteria I would set for a good postgraduate degree would be the combination of quality teaching, an integrated internship as part of the study programme, together with career guidance and basic services and facilities provided by the university. If fees are charged, then they should be affordable. For most of my counterparts in Brussels that would mean an upper limit somewhere between €500 to €4000 per year.

If fees were to exceed €4000 per year, I would personally have much higher expectations of the quality criteria mentioned, especially when it comes to career guidance services and facilities offered by the university. 

Has the covid-19 pandemic affected the value for money of your degree? If so, in what ways?

Although this question would certainly be answered differently by other students, I would say that the Covid-19 pandemic did not affect the general flow of my learning and progression,  nor my perception of the value for money of my degree. However, of course the pandemic made a difference to my student life. What I missed most was the possibility to study at the library, and to go to the university’s gym. So I experienced a negative impact on both mind and body. However, since the fees for my Master’s degree are quite low, I have never felt that it would lose its value.

Moreover, in the second year of my Master programme (2020-2021), I completed my Master’s internship and wrote my dissertation. For this part of the programme, I did not have to attend any classes, and so my required contact with the university was mostly unaffected by the pandemic. The only difference was the lack of possibility to meet my dissertation supervisor in person. However, our cooperation through online meetings was perfect, and my research was never unduly affected by the lack of physical meetings. 

Did your university make any changes to your fees and costs during the pandemic?

My university made no changes to my fees. I was in the first year of my Master’s degree when the pandemic began, and I continued studying through the two years. I paid the same amount of fees for both years. However, I am aware that neighbouring countries have taken a different approach. I have friends studying in universities in the Netherlands and their fees were reduced by 50% during the pandemic.

Was your university ready to meet your expectations for a value for money degree after the pandemic? What could the university do differently?

My university has been asking students for feedback for the ‘post-pandemic phase’ on a regular basis. However, the real changes to learning and teaching have taken place gradually, and in accordance with the evolution of the pandemic. As the fees at ULB are low, this may have made the university more resilient – as long as the supply of public financing was not cut. So I did not expect to see any changes to the fees charged nor to the general functioning and structure of my courses.

However it is possible that the university may consider changes for the future. If that is the case, I would hope that no major changes are made in haste, and that the implications are carefully considered for all students, but particularly for those who are more vulnerable and socially disadvantaged. 

Authors: Nicole Vasileiou, David Crosier