Student debt is putting the poorest off a University education (Paul Scriven)

Student debt is putting the poorest off a University education

August 19, 2009 8:24 AM

Paul Scriven campaigning against tuition fees Commenting on the news that students starting university courses this year can expect to graduate owing £23,000 in debt, Councillor Paul Scriven, Parliamentary Campaigner for Sheffield Central, said:

"This is an astonishing sum and one that will really put young people off seeking a University education.

"University education is absolutely vital to the future of our city. It's by far the best way for young people from low income families to get a good start in life. I should know - before I went to University I left school with no qualifications and spent two years digging roads!"

"But now people are really feeling the pinch, between crippling debts and a job market that is just not producing enough graduate jobs. As a person from a modest background, I would have had to think long and hard about whether I could afford the fees and costs to put myself through University. Under New Labour I might not have been able to get where I am today."

Paul also reiterated his commitment to scrapping University tuition fees.

"Scrapping tuition fees is Liberal Democrat party policy. If the people of Sheffield send me to Parliament next year, one of my first priorities will be to see that promise through."

Richard Heinrich, President of Sheffield Liberal Youth and a student at Sheffield University, said:

"It's sad that under a Labour government supposedly committed to equality of opportunity more and more young people will be priced out of higher education and the opportunities that go with it.

"This is yet another example of how this government has failed young people. They now face entering a graduate job market in its worst condition for decades whilst carrying the burdens of a 5-figure debt.

"We will be campaigning to keep the cap on fees when the government reviews their policy early next year. We also want greater financial support for students from less well-off backgrounds. It's vital that a University education does not become the sole preserve of the rich."