Nandini Indiran
The Open University (OU) received the highest number of student enrolment than ever before this year. Surprisingly, a quarter of the students belong to the 25 and under age group.
There was a significant rise in the number of students aged 18-21 joining the university during last year. From the 17.5 per cent rise, it is thought that more and more students are choosing the cheaper option of studying at home with the OU, rather than a degree elsewhere, which is guaranteed to leave them in higher debt.
Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, which traditionally targets mature students, claimed that more young people had enrolled this year than ever before, with the proportion of students in their twenties increasing from 33 per cent to 42 per cent in a year.
The main reason behind this shocking rise in the OU enrolment is the fear of having to pay up debt later on upon earning a degree. An average graduate leaves university with about £20,000 of debt, and this could be doubled if caps on tuition fees (£3,225 a year) are removed.
In the current rocky road of British politics, it is expected that the burden will be lifted off the students, but it still remains a problem yet to be solved.