The Fear of Debt and Hardship Results in Increased Drop-Out Rates for Students

Summary

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there are some very implicit prejudices within Andrew McKie's column ("There is a simple choice when it comes to funding universities", The Herald, December 13). He lacks perspective when he focuses on the violent minority of student protesters. While no- one should condone wilful damage to property or person, it is blatantly biased to highlight only the anarchic elements.

The question of university funding is complex but stating there is a simple choice to be made is erroneous. Recent studies have shown student drop-out levels in some universities are rising and, although the causes are multi-faceted, one of the most prevalent was found to be student hardship. One report found more than 66% of students were worried about lack of money having a negative impact on their studies. It also found many students had to take paid work for more than the recommended maximum guideline of 10 hours a week.

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Extract

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The Fear of Debt and Hardship Results in Increased Drop-Out Rates for Students

A collateral impact of this potential hardship was found in research by the educational charity, the Sutton Trust, which recently released statistics showing that wealthier students tend to dominate in the humanities and that academics have voiced fears that tuition fees will lead to gentri...

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