POTENTIAL students are being deterred from going into higher education by debt and cost worries, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by the Sutton Trust, suggests that 36% of students from single parent households say that they are unlikely to go into higher education because of costs.
These figures contrast drastically with the 13% of students from homes with two parents who say that they are also unlikely to go to university.
The National Union of Students (NUS) said the study supported concerns that the government’s decision to increase the cap on undergraduate tuition fees in England to £9,000 is deterring potential students.
Liam Burns, NUS president said: “The student funding arrangements are hideously complicated, so I am hardly surprised that those from less affluent backgrounds are concerned.
“Hanging a price tag of tens of thousands of pounds around a student’s neck before they even open a prospectus is going to be far from helpful in making sure the poorest students pick the right university.”
Zahid Raja, Swansea University students’ union education officer said, “It’s an absolute no brainer that as fees have risen, so have the numbers of people that put a price on their education.
“On our door step are communities whose children live below the bread line. Universities, including ours, must now look beyond league tables and focus on the work they do locally in order to create opportunities.”
Universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Durham or Bristol are seen as more expensive by 63% of students. More than half of the student population believes that these universities are attended by those from wealthy backgrounds.
