Agenda Setting and Policy Diffusion: Exploring Higher Education Tuition Fees in France, Germany, and the United States

The charging of tuition fees is a controversial education policy. While common in the United States, other countries in Europe, such as Germany and France, have a tradition of offering education free of charge. This trend seems to be changing, however, since 2019 the established model for tuition fees is again on the public agenda on both sides of the Atlantic. Why are current practices being challenged? How is the subject portrayed in the public discourse? Is the rational truly aligned with higher education objectives? This paper analyzes these trends using the policy stream and policy diffusion frameworks to shed light on the different historical and current policy environments within the three aforementioned countries. We have found that perceptions of price-linked quality and overall normative perceptions of education influence the debate on tuition fees in each context. Problems arising from who bears the burden of the cost of education affect sustainability, accessibility and questions over education as a right or a service.