Yesterday, Maria, who is a graduating university student, had a review session for one of her finals. In the course of the review, her professor announced that those who wanted to receive a grade of 9 or 10 for the semester, they would have to give her 100 euro. Maria explained that even if she had 100 euro for the bribe, she wouldn't do it. That's great, but what is really upsetting is that regarless of how well she does on the final, she won't receive any higher than an 8.5 because the professor needs to spreadthe grades out. This a practice that is common here - ingrained really, even in the high schools. It's not possible to turn a professor in because nearly all of them do it, and the deans and administrators know and condone the practice. One of the main causes of this problem is that they professors are payed a paltry salary and they depend on the bribes to supplement their incomes. I don't know the percentage of students that end up paying the bribes, but it is a significant number. In a perfect world, if so many students are able to pay off all their professors, the school should just raise the tuition, which is only a few hundred dollars a year, and use that money to pay the teachers salaries and abolish the practice of bribing. A student that has three or four classes and pays a 100 euro bribe for each class could easily double what is payed in tuition. Perhaps a way to force the change would be for students to organize a group that refuses to pay the bribes and "outs" students and professors who do, but I don't really think there are enough students who care to do such a thing. Too many are happy to just pay the bribe and get good grades. The ones that can't pay and want to continue their education just hope that all their 8.5s are enough to get them into a graduate program.