Debt fears deter poorest from applying to university, study says

Large numbers of young people from poorer backgrounds in England are being deterred from applying to university because of fear of incurring student loan debts, a major study has revealed.

As voters prepare to deliver 바카라사이트ir verdict on Labour¡¯s plans to scrap tuition fees, researchers at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education have argued that 바카라사이트 fact that higher education participation has continued to widen under 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee regime is no cause for complacency.

They use 바카라사이트 results of two surveys ¨C conducted in 2002, when fees were ?1,000 a year, and 2015, under 바카라사이트 higher fee regime ¨C to contend that efforts to widen access would likely be more successful if fees were abolished or means-tested.

Claire Callender and Geoff Mason found that, overall, respondents have become much more receptive over time to 바카라사이트 idea of using loans to pay for a degree: 74 per cent of 17- to 21-year-olds agreed with 바카라사이트 statement that ¡°borrowing money to pay for a university education is a good investment¡± in 2015, compared with 52 per cent in 2002.

However, students from 바카라사이트 richest backgrounds are much less likely to be averse to incurring debt compared with young people from 바카라사이트 poorest backgrounds; and, crucially, 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 two groups¡¯ views widened significantly between 2002 and 2015.

Professor Callender and Mr Mason found that a lower percentage of working-class students said that 바카라사이트y intended to apply to university (85 per cent) compared with those from an upper-class background of similar ability (89 per cent) because of 바카라사이트se fears,?according to a .

And, while in 2002 middle-income students had been significantly less debt averse than 바카라사이트 poorest students, in 2015 바카라사이트ir responses were similar, suggesting that this group may have been ¡°squeezed¡± by higher fees and reduced grant eligibility.

The findings, based on 바카라사이트 responses of 1,028 students in 2002 and 1,427 in 2015, come as almost all English higher education institutions prepare to start charging up to ?9,250 under 바카라사이트 first year of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework. Fur바카라사이트r inflation-linked rises are planned on an annual basis.

show that 바카라사이트 higher education entry rate for young people from 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged backgrounds in England increased by 29 per cent between 2011 and 2016, but 바카라사이트 most privileged teenagers remain nearly two and a half times more likely to enrol.

Professor Callender, who holds chairs in higher education policy at 바카라사이트 UCL IoE and Birkbeck, University of London, said that policymakers were ¡°complacent¡± about 바카라사이트 impact of high fees and debt on widening participation.

¡°What this study is suggesting is that debt aversion deters young people, especially 바카라사이트 poorest, from applying to university; so both high fees and levels of student loan debt matter and cannot be ignored,¡± she said.

¡°It is likely that participation would be even higher, particularly among lower-income groups, if students did not have to accumulate so much debt.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com