Higher university tuition fees would deter many students

18 Jun 10
Raising annual university tuition fees to £7,000 would slash the number of school pupils planning to go to university, according to a survey published today. But a rise to £5,000 would not have such a dampening effect

By Vivienne Russell

21 June 2010

Raising annual university tuition fees to £7,000 would slash the number of school pupils planning to go to university, according to a survey published today. But a rise to £5,000 would not have such a dampening effect.

The Ipsos Mori survey of 2,700 secondary school pupils in England and Wales was carried out between January and April this year. Eighty per cent of the pupils, aged between 11 and 16, said they were either ‘very likely’ or ‘fairly likely’ to go on to higher education.

More than two-thirds (68%) of the pupils said they would still go If tuition fees were raised to £5,000 a year, but only 45% would go if they rose to £7,000.

Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust, which commissioned the survey, said: ‘The survey shows we have more young people than ever before who aspire to university, even though there is already stiff competition for places. Many pupils will be sorely disappointed – and we must make sure it is not those from poorer homes, who are already under-represented in higher education, who miss out.’

Higher education funding is currently being reviewed by former BP boss Lord Browne, who is due to report in the autumn.

Lampl said that if Browne concluded that higher fees were necessary there was a ‘significant task ahead’ in ensuring that all young people, particularly those from non-privileged homes, were equipped with the information they needed to make well-informed decisions.

The survey also highlighted the need for more work to ensure young people understood the implications of their higher education choices. More than 75% of respondents said they were not aware of the different earnings potential of different universities. Only 18% thought it mattered to employers where a degree

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