Debts ‘not dampening university ambitions’

The prospect of a significant debt management burden is not dampening the ambitions to attend university among young Britons, according to the latest figures.

Research carried out by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Sutton Trust has found that only 13 per cent 11 to 16-year-olds in the UK are put off from the idea of going to university by concerns about debt, which is seven per cent less than was the case a year ago.

More than 2,000 British children were polled as part of the study and almost three-quarters feel they are at least fairly likely to go to university, despite the fact that only 40 per cent are expected to.

“We need to offer more support to young people throughout their education so that they are in a position to realise their ambitions at 18 and beyond,” said Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the education charity behind the research.

A report from Abbey Banking recently suggested that more than 20 per cent of all children aged 11 to 15 in the UK are afraid of being indebted when they reach adulthood.