STUDENTS in Warrington returning in September for their final A-level year will be the first to feel the impact of the new government tuition fee system when applying for university places.
With current university fees being a maximum of £3290 for a year, this could rise to £9,000 in 2012. With the added cost of accommodation and living costs this figure could be in excess of £45000 over a 3 year course – leaving students facing a huge debt.
Many local students are outraged by this increase in fees.
Helen Culleton, 17, (pictured right) a student at Great Sankey’s Barrowhall College, will be applying to university in September. She said: “It’s my year that will be the first affected but I’m still going to go. I know it will cost a lot but I think it will be worth it to get a good job.” 
However, Amy Devine, 18, (pictured left) has left the college and is due to go to university this September. She said: “I’m lucky that I’m in the last year of students that won’t be charged the higher fees. If I was being made to pay the new fees in 2012, I would definitely consider more carefully whether it’s worth going. In fact, I doubt I would be going at all.”
David Mowat, MP for Warrington South, hopes the new fees won’t put students off applying. He said: “What I hope will happen is the number of students going to university will continue to increase. There were similar concerns about students going to university under the Labour Government about six years ago but a decrease in numbers didn’t happen then. A feature of the new fees is it’s not like a mortgage, if the students are unable to pay the money back it will eventually be wiped.”
But Helen Jones, MP for Warrington North, said: “By trebling the cost of going to university, I believe that students from less affluent backgrounds will either be forced to choose courses based on affordability or simply be unable to attend any university. Here in Warrington we have also seen the impact of the Government’s changes to higher education on the University of Chester. The teaching budget of the university has been slashed by 85% and will force them to raise their fees for students.”
Alex Williams, senior communications officer at the University of Chester, said: “We are unable to predict student choices in advance of new tuition fee arrangements being introduced.” However Alex did indicate that there has been a 20 per cent increase in applications for this academic year.
Whether this is students taking the final opportunity of the lower tuition fees or not is uncertain. What is for certain is the benefits of a degree are no longer guaranteed, with the possibility for many of a lifetime of debt.
