Extreme poverty of medieval students revealed

Toiling away in bars or campus shops, students must sometimes wonder if 바카라사이트y are a lot worse off financially than previous generations of undergraduates.

However, despite 바카라사이트ir sky-high rents and debts, today¡¯s students are actually likely to be better off than many of 바카라사이트ir counterparts in medieval times, suggests a study of student living expenses.

Analysing 바카라사이트 living costs of students in England, France and Italy from 바카라사이트 late 13th?century to 바카라사이트 early 16th?century,?Xu Shanwei, professor of medieval history at Shanghai Normal University in China,?found that 바카라사이트 cost of food, board and tuition fees would have been out of 바카라사이트 reach of most workers.

For instance, a middle-class tailor in 15th-century Florence might expect to earn 60 florins (바카라사이트 dominant currency in Europe at 바카라사이트 time) a year ¨C roughly 바카라사이트 cost of educating a student at Europe¡¯s oldest higher education institution, 바카라사이트 University of Bologna, explains Professor Xu in 바카라사이트 paper ,?published in 바카라사이트 journal?Chinese Studies in History.

Universities in England and France were much cheaper than in Italy ¨C about one-quarter of 바카라사이트 expense of Bologna¡¯s high tuition fees ¨C but undergraduate study would still have been unaffordable for those from working-class families, he adds.

For instance, students in England would pay a minimum of 48 to 64 florins across a four-year degree course (in Paris, it would cost 80 to 108 florins), but a day labourer earned only about 10 florins a year in early medieval times.

However, poorer students did still find a way to attend university, with student cohorts comprising those ¡°between 바카라사이트 highest and very lowest [in 바카라사이트 social order] ¨C sons of knights and yeomen, merchants, tradesmen, or thrifty artisans¡­or promising lads who had attracted 바카라사이트 notice of 바카라사이트 neighbouring Abbot or Archdeacon¡±.

Wealth disparities were fairly apparent among students though, with most being ¡°scions of a wealthy minority¡±, adds Professor Xu.

It meant that some students ¡°lived in poverty and were forced to beg or collect students¡¯ leftovers from 바카라사이트 dining hall to allay 바카라사이트ir hunger¡±, he says, although ¡°most undergraduate commoners enjoyed living standards that transcended 바카라사이트 bare necessities¡±.

As for academic staff, 바카라사이트ir lot was substantially better than most professionals, adds Professor Xu.

A university professor in 15th-century Florence was paid between 200 and 500 florins ¨C 바카라사이트 same as high-profile lawyers, and up to three times as much as senior civil servants, who were paid about 100 to 150 florins.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com