Being a university professor is statistically one of the safest jobs in the Covid-19 emergency. Professors are paid an attractive salary to do a job they love and retire on a good pension. They also tend to be in favour of free university tuition fees, more and more university attendees, a Universal Basic Income, free social care (in which their family keeps ownership of their house) and the Triple Lock.
Of course they will benefit from all of these. At present, a degree for some people-who leave university with serious debt, does not benefit them financially. It is no longer true that a degree predicts an advantage of £100,000 over a working life. 40% of graduates are in non-graduate jobs and it is debateable whether many where a degree is required one is actually necessary.
Free tuition means that, even more so, non-graduates-still a majority of workers, will subsidise people who are mainly middle-class and relatively comfortably off. The professors will have no debt, more students, more finance and more prestige if free tuition is ever introduced-although in the end the whole thing would be unsustainable. On top of this they are most likely to be untouched by the virus. Whatever happens, the professors always win.
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