More than two-thirds of secondary school children do not understand the university fees system, education campaigners warn today.
An Ipsos Mori survey commissioned by the Sutton Trust found
that only 31% of school pupils aged between 11 and 16 had grasped the fact that
the money to pay their university fees would be borrowed from the government
and repaid once they were earning over a certain salary.Over a fifth of the 2,700 pupils surveyed thought families paid for a university education, while a tenth thought young people funded themselves with money they had earned before embarking on a degree. Six per cent said they thought the government paid for all students. Around a fifth of respondents were unsure where the money to pay for higher education came from.
Among those pupils from poorer families, only a quarter correctly understood the new fees regime. Older pupils were also more likely to have a better understanding of the university fees system than their younger counterparts.
The survey also revealed that young people’s aspirations have not been dented by the prospect of fees set to rise to up to £9,000 a year in England. The majority (78%) of secondary school pupils think they are ‘very likely’ or ‘fairly likely’ to go into higher education. This is broadly in line with the finding of a Sutton Trust survey conducted last year, which found that 80% of young people thought themselves likely to start a degree.
Sutton Trust chair Sir Peter Lampl said the survey revealed ‘widespread misunderstanding’ of the new fees system.
‘I am very concerned that these early aspirations will not be translated into reality for far too many of our young people from low and middle income households when they are confronted with the prospect of £9,000 fees and debts on graduation of over £40,000.’
He added that the Sutton Trust would shortly be announcing the creation of an independent commission to monitor the impact of the fee increase on higher education participation rates.
Wendy Piatt, director general of the elite Russell Group of universities, said: 'We are concerned that the often overheated debate around university finance has resulted in misinformation among many young people and their families.
'All potential students need to know that tuition fees do not have to be paid upfront, loans and bursaries are available to cover costs, and graduates only repay their loans when they are earning a good salary.
'We will continue to encourage every student with the talent, potential and ability to succeed at a Russell Group university to apply... If misinformation stopped the best students from attending leading universities, it would be tragic.'
