Samples / Task 2 essay / Discuss both views / Band 7.5

Debating Free University Education vs Student Funded Tuition

A Band 7 IELTS Academic Task 2 essay discussing whether university education should be free for all or paid for by the students.

The question

Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others argue that students should pay the full cost themselves. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The debate over whether higher education should be fully funded by the government or paid for entirely by the students themselves has intensified in recent years. While there are valid arguments for making students bear the full cost of their studies, I believe that providing free university education is ultimately more beneficial for both individuals and society as a whole. On the one hand, proponents of tuition fees argue that students should invest in their own future. Since a university degree typically leads to higher career prospects and better salaries, it seems fair that the individuals who benefit directly should pay for it. Furthermore, when students pay for their education, they are more likely to take their studies seriously and complete their degrees on time. If university is entirely free, some students might enroll without a clear commitment, which leads to a waste of public resources. This depends of the student's family background, but generally, paying fees encourages personal responsibility and ensures universities have sufficient funding to maintain high standards of teaching. On the other hand, there are compelling reasons why higher education should be free for everyone. The primary argument is that equal access to education promotes social mobility. When universities charge high fees, the burden of paying tuition fees prevent many talented individuals from lower-income families from pursuing their academic goals. Without free tuition, a country will never develop its economy because only rich people can study. By removing financial barriers, society can benefit from the skills of all its citizens, regardless of their financial background. A highly educated workforce also drives innovation and economic growth, which eventually benefits taxpayers through increased tax revenues. In conclusion, although requiring students to pay for their education can encourage accountability and reduce the financial pressure on governments, I believe that free university education is a superior policy. It ensures equal opportunities for all young people and fosters a more prosperous, equitable society.

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This answer was written by a language model to a real exam question, then scored by Bandly against the four public band descriptors. The band is a software estimate. No examiner has marked it, and the band a real examiner would award may differ. Scored with google/gemini-3.5-flash on 2026-09-08.

Estimated overall

7.5

Mean of the four criteria, rounded the way the exam rounds it.

Task Response 8

You are at Band 8 for Task Response because you clearly discuss both views, give your own opinion, and develop relevant ideas, but some supporting points are slightly over‑generalised and not fully nuanced.

Coherence and Cohesion 7

The response demonstrates clear progression and logical organisation of ideas, but some cohesive devices are used in a way that is not entirely natural or appropriate.

Lexical Resource 7

You use a good range of vocabulary with some less common items, but occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy 7

You use a variety of complex structures and produce frequent error-free sentences, but a few errors in grammar and punctuation prevent a higher score.

What would take this higher

To improve your coherence and cohesion score to a band 8, you should focus on making your transitions between ideas more natural and less formulaic. For instance, instead of relying on mechanical linkers like "On the one hand" and "On the other hand" to structure your body paragraphs, you could use more sophisticated, topic-specific transitions that connect the ideas themselves. Additionally, ensuring that sentences like "This depends of the student's family background" flow more logically into the surrounding argument about personal responsibility would help create a more seamless progression of ideas.

Find out what this essay would score

Paste your own answer and Bandly returns an estimated band for each of the four criteria, with the sentences that pulled the score down. Under a cent an essay, about six seconds.

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