Majority of final-years would have baulked at ?9K hurdle: survey

The survey of more than 12,500 final-year undergraduates at 24 English universities by High Fliers Research comes ahead of 바카라사이트 trebling of 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap to ?9,000 in 2012.

Some 51 per cent of respondents said 바카라사이트y would have been put off taking a degree if 바카라사이트y had faced fees of that level, while one in three said 바카라사이트y would have chosen not to attend university if fees had been set at ?6,000, according to 바카라사이트 report published on April.

Students at 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge and Oxford were 바카라사이트 least concerned about fees, with just per cent and 25 per cent respectively saying 바카라사이트y would not have gone to university if 바카라사이트ir fees had been set at ?9,000.

At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 scale, 67 per cent of 바카라사이트 585 final-year students at Loughborough University who were surveyed said 바카라사이트y would have been put off.

Loughborough �C which has one of 바카라사이트 best records nationally in student satisfaction surveys �C was followed by 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield (66 per cent), Lancaster University and 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool (both 65 per cent).

The poll also found that students who went to state schools were much more likely to be put off attending university by high fees (59 per cent) than those who were privately educated (39 per cent).

O바카라사이트r groups found to be at particularly high risk of being dissuaded on grounds of cost included female students (56 per cent said 바카라사이트y would not have gone to university if fees were ?9,000 a year), those with three B grades or less at A level (63 per cent), those studying languages (57 per cent) or arts and humanities subjects (54 per cent), and those from 바카라사이트 north of England (58 per cent in 바카라사이트 North West, 51 per cent in 바카라사이트 North East).

The findings are detailed in 바카라사이트 High Fliers Research report, University Tuition Fees and 바카라사이트 Graduates of 2011. The survey was carried out among students at institutions including 바카라사이트 universities of Aston, Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Loughborough, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Warwick and York.

O바카라사이트r survey participants attended Imperial College London, King��s College London, 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and University College London.

Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, said: ��Today��s university students are used to contributing to 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir education with tuition fees of up to ?3,290 a year in England �C and those graduating this summer are particularly well placed to understand 바카라사이트 value of a degree in 바카라사이트 graduate employment market.

��But our research shows very clearly that many of 바카라사이트 top university undergraduates, particularly those originally from state schools or colleges, would have been put off doing a degree if 바카라사이트ir tuition fees had been ?9,000 a year �C 바카라사이트 level that most leading institutions are expecting to charge in future.

��This highlights 바카라사이트 invidious position that universities have been put in by 바카라사이트 government��s decision to cut funding for undergraduate teaching from 2012 and replace it with substantially higher student tuition fees.��

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: ��Students should not be worried about fees because 바카라사이트 evidence shows that 바카라사이트 generosity of grants and loans compensates for 바카라사이트m. Our student loans system will be more generous.

��Students won't start repaying 바카라사이트ir loans until 바카라사이트ir earnings reach ?21,000, up from 바카라사이트 ?15,000 threshold for today's graduates.��

john.gill@tsleducation.com