Cost of university putting teenagers off higher education

The Ipsos-Mori poll, for the Sutton Trust, also reveals that over half of teenagers (57%) who say they are unlikely to go to university cite financial consideration. Almost nine in 10 (86%) said they thought going to university was important.

UCU head of higher education, Michael MacNeil, said: 'We need our brightest young people aspiring to university and the courses best suited to their talents.Worryingly the biggest barrier is the increased cost of a degree.

'Charging for education in a recession makes little sense and risks stopping many talented young people from fulfilling their dreams and robs us as a country of their full talents. Ministers need to move on from looking at how to squeeze more money out of students and look at the damage the increased cost of going to university is already having.'