Dear Mrs Hodge . . .

As the government continues to grapple with what to do about student funding, graduate and would-be teacher Emma Higgins writes an open letter to the Higher Education Minister, Margaret Hodge, about her financial struggle to educate herself.

The minister's reply follows below.

Dear Mrs Hodge

I come from a single-parent, working-class background and have worked independently very hard to attain the level of education I am at today.

I graduated last summer and am on a gap year before starting a post-graduate certificate of education course in secondary school PE teaching this September. I am in the process of attempting to save money as well as recover some debt.

Having studied in London completely autonomously - as my mother can just about afford to support herself and the remainder of my family - I have accumulated the following financial debt:

£14,960 student loan, plus interest
£1,500 bank overdraft
£1,500 first credit card
£200 second credit card
Total = £18,160 so far with more to come next year.

This is a result of having to pay for rent, food, text books, physical education kit and equipment - although I still cannot afford contact lenses to accommodate my high-prescription eyesight, which are essential for physical activities and teaching, and I still struggle to complete specific activity courses - a football coaching course costs £125. I also have not been able to learn to drive.

Is this really what an average working class student should have to face in an attempt to achieve a middle class status?

Getting this far has not been easy

I have always worked part time from the age of 14 as a means to fund myself and ensure I would not end up as what my mother regarded "an uneducated no-gooder".

This has involved jobs in newsagents, factories, shops, public houses (which I still do as well as my present job), youth work, care work in residential homes, learning support assistance for children and adults with special needs, various sporting events, promotional work, gym instructing, various temping work and I am now working on a low-salary sales administrative job.

But where is the justice today? I am 22 years old and am confronted with a low credit score, huge debts and a very low salary despite having achieved a degree.

Although I do want to do teaching, I can understand why alternative, higher-paid salaries are more attractive. At present, I find myself no better off than the average person without higher education qualifications.

I do ask myself if the financial strain I am feeling today was really worth the sacrifice of a higher education.

I do fully appreciate the fact that my tuition fees were paid for and that I was eligible for higher loan amounts, but the reality is that students in a similar situation are faced with what can only be described as an unbearable financial struggle in an attempt to do well.

One friend - also from a single-parent, working-class background - left our university in her second year of study as a consequence.

How can the government system facilitate future working class children with efficient means of help in order for them to achieve their ambitions more effectively?

Sincerely,

Emma Higgins.

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This was the reply from the minister via the Department for Education and Skills:

Can I reassure you that the government is committed to removing any hurdles that prevent talented young people from entering higher education.

There are currently too few young people from low income backgrounds going to university and worry about money is one of the reasons. That is why we are reviewing student funding.

We want to make sure that debt - or the fear of debt - is not putting people off university. We want to simplify the student support system and we want to make sure everybody can afford to go to university.

Margaret Hodge: Listening to concerns

We will be saying more about this later in the year.

It's also the case that graduates are likely to earn around £400,000 more than the national average over their working lives. They are also half as likely to be unemployed.

So while you are not feeling the benefits now, there is every chance you will.

Most people would agree that if there are tangible benefits then it is only fair that students and their families should make some contribution towards that, not just the taxpayer. We are reviewing the way this works to see if we've got that balance right.

I want to add that student loans are heavily subsidised by the government and only attract interest at the rate of inflation. They do not have to be repaid until borrowers have left HE and are earning at least £10,000 a year.

There is extra, non-repayable help targeted at students from low income families - 25,000 students will benefit from opportunity bursaries of £2,000 by 2003. And the current system has not deterred young people from entering university in record numbers.

I'm delighted that you're going into teaching. Everyone on post-graduate certificate of education courses receives a £6,000 training bursary. We do recognise that we need to do more to make university education more accessible to all.

You will get your say on our proposals for this in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Hodge.

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In my view provides space for those involved in education to reflect on how it is going from their perspective. The views expressed here are personal.

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