The importance of higher education in society changes according to the country; for example, in many countries a student goes to university to obtain a diploma for work, but university is also often a time during which the student learns to be independent. Students also learn to mix with people of different origins, and to grow as people. Richer students can study in a place far from their hometown, but kids from poor neighbourhoods may be unable to afford college at all without a scholarship of some kind.