I know that the USA is more capitalist than most of European states. I heard that education in America is paid.
Are primary, secondary, high school and university paid in the USA? Which of these are paid? For example, I’ve heard that it takes things like sports success to go to university or free. Thanks.
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There’s a public school system for primary and secondary school. University is expensive as hell and not provided to the public.
Not college (university) but K-8 is public, well can be. There are still private schools too, but most students go through public education.
Public school is free as far as I know. As for college the reason I was told it’s so expensive is because the colleges want you to pay more money than the bank loans you.
Kindergarten -12th grade is tax funded. Academic or athletic excellence can get you a scholarship, and in some cases so can your race or ethnic background.
But in absence of a scholarship, university can get incredibly expensive.
I’m not sure what you mean by paid. We have free public elementary and secondary schools. We also have public universities that are fairly inexpensive.
Education is “free” (taxpayer-supported) through high school (12th grade; kids tend to be 18 years old). After that it’s up to the individual if they choose to pay for more. Options range from low-cost local colleges to expensive prestigious universities.
Elementary, Middle, and High School (we don’t use the terms primary or secondary) are all paid for by the taxpayer. Some colleges will have some of their expenses paid for by the taxpayer, but those only reduce the expense to the students. The students still need to pay tuition.
The sports thing you’ve heard about is scholarships. There are a lot of different ways for someone to earn a scholarship. Some of them will just pay for a part of their schooling, some will pay for everything (often called a “full ride”). Being good at sports is one way to earn a scholarship. The top athletic schools are allowed to offer a limited number of scholarships to entice athletes to attend their schools. But, you can also earn a scholarship for just about any accomplishment you can think of. Some of these scholarships are conducted through the school, but there are also independent ones that are provided by non-profit NGOs. The government does not tend to provide scholarships directly, but there are a few ways to get a government scholarship. For example, someone attending an ROTC program with the intent to join the military afterward can have their tuition paid for by the military with the agreement that they serve for a set number of years after college.
Education through secondary school is free and paid for by taxes. In Texas where I live the state constitution requires the legislature to fund education. There are public universities as well, those are supported by taxes but still cost money, and offer financial aid as well depending on your income. Because only taxes paid in Texas support universities here, people from out of the state have to pay more. As far as I know this is true in all states.
Of course there are plenty of private schools too, those cost money.
Public education until college is funded through taxes, and there are many private schools in the US. College up to the baccalaureate degree is usually paid out of pocket or through loans and grants, but there are also many scholarship awards for academics and athletics. Beyond the baccalaureate degree education is often at least partly funded through endowment by the university you attend, but this is not universal.
Who told you that university education is free in America?
Public K-12 is taxpayer funded and individuals do not have to pay to attend. Private schools are paid by families and scholarships. Residents do not have to pay for Community Colleges in some states. Most people do not get full scholarships to college, but they are sometimes granted to exceptional athletes. It’s also possible to receive a full scholarship on academic merit.
How much aid we receive(grants/loans) depends on the individual student’s situation and their parents’ incomes.
Public school (meaning tax funded, I know we use this term differently that the UK) is available to all children in kindergarten (typically age 5) through the end of high school (typically age 18). Private schools also exist, families may choose to pay tuition for their children to attend these schools. College/University (meanings so similar that we use them interchangeably) charge tuition but how much varies tremendously.
Scholarships are available for lots of things and only a tiny number are awarded for athletics. I went to college on an academic scholarship, all I had to do was keep my grades high enough. I was very fortunate.
That depends. If you go to a private school, then yes, you have to pay out of pocket for education.
If you go to a public school for elementary, middle and high school, tuition is subsidized by taxpayer dollars.
Once you get into college, public or private, you’re paying again, unless like you mentioned, you land a sports scholarship.
Even then, that depends on what division level your school is in of the NCAA. Division I schools can offer a substantial number of sports scholarships, D2 schools can offer scholarships but the number is reduced, and D3 schools don’t offer scholarships at all.
General education in the public school system is entirely funded by taxes, mostly property taxes. Private schools and higher education can be funded through scholarships and grants, but it’s not a universal system. Loans are the second option if you don’t want to pay yourself.
School up through high school in my area has fees around $100 a year at lower grades, and it gets up to near $300 by high school. This does not include the cost of food or school supplies, it just covers enrollment fees and whatnot. Not free, but not *too bad*.
College is pretty expensive though.
When you say “paid” you mean “paid for by the student/ student’s family,” right? I think most Americans would interpret “paid” as “paid for so you don’t have to pay.” So if some answers are confusing I suspect that’s why.
K-12 (primary and secondary) are taxpayer funded and thus free to the student. You can attend a private school if you choose, which you will pay for.
University generally charges tuition. The tuition amount varies wildly. Some private universities cost fifty or sixty thousand a year. Some public universities cost as little as a few thousand a year for “in state” students. Scholarships for various reasons, including sports, exist.
There are also “community colleges” which are very inexpensive (or free in some states) and allow students to transfer credits to a university.
Education before the university level is provided by the government free of charge. Some areas charge a small fee but this is waived for those who cannot afford it. Citizenship is not required — all residents can get it. There are also private schools at this level, which sometimes get government funding too though this is a matter of political controversy.
At the university level, either the student or the student’s parents normally must pay something, even if the university is run by the government. Complete or partial assistance may be given based on a variety of factors including (but not limited too) academic achievement and financial need. The government also provides loans to pay for university education, and in many cases some of this debt is later forgiven.