Discussing the Quality Assurance of Engineering Programs in Higher Education through Students’ Awareness of Tuition Fees

Tuition fees at national universities in Japan have risen high, and some institutions have recently raised them even further. In this study, the authors conducted debate-based classes on the topic of tuition-free education at national and public universities, targeting third-year undergraduate engineering students and first-year master’s students in social systems engineering. Following the debates, students were asked to submit individual written opinions. Surprisingly, 16 out of 22 students expressed opposition to tuition exemption, with many citing a potential decline in learning motivation as their primary concern. This suggests that students may not rate the present quality of the education as high as they expect. Based on these findings, this paper discusses the desired form of the engineering education in higher education institutions, particularly for future mechanical engineers.