the new math: old battle of the lovees was: PDP1 3591

This is very different here. The really attractive courses require grade averages in the "top of clbutt" levels.

Two tiers of students go abroad; the ones that can get themselves into the top universities in the world on their own merits, and those who need to look at a wider set of universities to get accepted.

No private "gymnasiums" anymore ? No more cities in Belgium?

The scholarships are managed by the universities and private insbreastutions. There are around 350 meritocratic scholarships available per year, for a total university enrollment in the state for around 60.000.

These are not managed directly by the state, but are managed locally.

The average payback for a college graduate is around threefold if you count tax revenue alone; the payback time is somewere around 12 years.

For the top performers it is way above that, tenfold or more in terms of payback, 7 years payback time. This means the extra taxes during the first 3-4 years in full employment pays for all the state support..

The bottom line is that one of the best investments a state can do is to give the top few percent high school performers a fast track through college and university. They don't have to give it as subsidy at all, just to insure an attractive financing package that limits downsides.

This was the system abondoned in the 1930's.

-- mrr