Show of hands on student debt

Amy Raistrick (22), technical theatre student puts her name to the protest

STUDENTS created a hard-hitting wall of debt as part of a campaign against plans to lift the cap on tuition fees.

They left their painted hand prints on the wall at University Campus Oldham (UCO) along with an estimate of how much debt they fear they will rack up during their studies.

The Government is proposing to lift the current cap of around £3,200 on annual tuition fees.

But Haneef Rashid (24), education and welfare officer at the Students’ Union, believes this could put graduates £26,000 in the red.

Some students are already forced to work full-time to make ends meet.

He said: “It’s not just tuition fees. On top of that, working- class and middle-class students take out a loan to cover their expenses — although it doesn’t.

“Currently, debt stands at about £18,000 to £20,000 per student. If you add up all the debt on a small campus like this it will run into millions.

“The Government wants 50 per cent of the population to have a degree because this contributes to economic growth. But they will restrict people from participating in higher education if tuition fees are raised.

“People may have the grades, but they will fear the debt isn’t worth it.”

The National Union of Students wants tuition fees replaced with a graduate tax, while there are also fears that the maintenance grant the poorest students receive will be reduced or scrapped.

Students’ Union campaign officer Sohail Afsar (24) said: “If the proposals go ahead, university will just be a far-off dream for working-class and and middle-class people. That’s not what we want.

“We hear a lot in the media about NEETS — young people not in education, employment or training. How are they going to change this situation by increasing fees?”

National Union of Students president Wes Streeting will take part in a tuition fees debate at UCO’s parent university, Huddersfield, next Friday.

Andy Plimmer (21) from Somerset is studying technical theatre at UCO and reckons his first year alone will cost £10,000.

He said: “It is a big worry. I am going to be in debt.”