Survey Shows Folly Of Tuition Fees

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 11th Aug 2003

Lib Dems nationally have led campaigning against tuition fees.

Commenting on the Nat West Student Money Matters Survey released today, which shows that one in three graduates are living at home in order to save money, Liberal Democrat Shadow Higher Education Minister David Rendel MP said:

"These results are deeply worrying. Students going to university this September are facing five-figure debts. Rising numbers are planning to take part time work to help pay their way, and increasing numbers are opting to stay at home to save money.

"Tuition fees are not only acting as a disincentive to many young people thinking about going to university. They are also damaging the university experience for many people.

"It beggars belief that the Government thinks that top-up fees can do anything but make this situation far worse."

Notes:

The Nat West survey showed that:

· 64% of graduates (a rise of 14%) return to live at home.

· One in three undergraduates are living at home to save money.

· 9 out of 10 school leavers said they would try to get a part time job to make their student loan go further.

· 43% of students said they had missed lectures in order to do more shifts.

· 18% said they had considered dropping out of university altogether.