Like Helen, I appreciate and regret the difficulties our young people are faced with, but the loan will, in effect, be a kind of graduate tax since it is repayable only on a salary of over 21000.
I am loathe to hear about so many potential students saying they will not go to university because they do not want to get into debt and as a parent I will not encourage this view when my daughter applies next year.
This is because I cannot really see an alternative. If entry to a interesting career is available, then fine, but otherwise, what kind of work is to be taken up by our children? I would prefer my daughter to have the debt thatn a low paid job and limited opportunities for the rest of her working life.
There are already schemes being set up by an accounting firm (is it PW?)who will cover fees at Durham for students who will work with them and I think Glaxo are about to start sponsoring students. Law firms have always provided sponsorship for some aspects of legal study. perhaps this will spread?
That said, if a child doesn't want to attend university and this becomes clear to them when they envisage paying the fees, then they shouldn't have to. But where a child wishes to go, there shouldn't really be a reason to stop them, even if we disagree with the fee increase.