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Many A-level pupils say they are priced out of university by higher tuition fees
NEARLY half of A-level students questioned by a new poll said they do not plan to go to university, with many claiming to be put off by higher tuition fees,
A survey which questioned more than 1,000 sixth form and college students found more people wanted to go straight into work than into higher education.
The results which were published yesterday show that only 39 per cent of people studying for A-levels or an equivalent qualification said they planned to go to university, with 47 per cent saying they wanted to get a job straight away and another 14 per cent saying they were unsure what they would do next.
Among those who said they would go straight into employment, 67 per cent said they could not afford to go to university because of the planned rise in tuition fees. A further 11 per cent said they wanted to start earning money as soon as possible. The survey was carried out by discount website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk.
It was asking questions of students who will be among the first wave to be charged up to £9,000 a year for university tuition.
The fees increase was voted through last year amid widespread student protest. Universities are set to pass the majority of the cost of running courses onto students as they cope with an 80 per cent funding cut to their teaching budgets from the Government. University education will still be free at the point of charge and students will not begin paying back their fees until they earn more than £21,000. However Labour politicians and unions have voiced fears that some students will be priced out of going to university by £9,000 fees.
More than two thirds of the young people questioned by the poll who still planned to go university said they did not know how much their fees were likely to be and a fifth of students said they were worried about the high level of fees.
Last month Leeds University’s vice chancellor, Prof Michael Arthur, criticised the Government for failing to do more to tackle fears that people could be priced out of higher education because fees had risen to £9,000.
The survey questioned 1,129 students aged 16-18 between April 25 and May 2.
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