Top up on this university!

The latest UCAS figures show that the university application rate has increased by six per cent, recovering from the loss of 15,000 students last year when top up fees were first introduced.

The National Union of Students campaign, 'Admission: Impossible', launched last October continues to encourage students to attend university and fight for the prevention of a further rise in fees, currently capped at £3000.

The NUS President, Gemma Tumelty, welcomes the rise in applications but feels there is concern to keep pushing the campaign to hold the government to account: “The make up of students accessing Higher Education is still predominantly white middle class and privileged. All students who have the ability and the aspiration should be applying and supported through the system”.

She added: “There is a strong role for campaigns...highlighting the potential risks to any further marketisation of the education system".

Thousands of students gathered outside the University of London's Union last October, on Malet Street, marking the first protest held by 'Admission: Impossible', marched peacefully towards to Trafalgar Square. Three thousand red balloons were released representing every pound of the new annual tuition fee, which is expected to leave students in the red.

The event was supported by Mr Tony Benn, former left wing politician who likened the government induced fees to slave masters: “When people are in debt they are slaves and we must see that that does not happen.”

It is the current high costs of university that are forcing many young people to find employment during term time, to fund fees, living costs and lifestyle. First year zoology student, Lee Bowden, says that the fees are not only affecting him but putting pressure on his family too: “I felt bad that my mum had to pay double what she had to pay for my brother so I could go.”

Lee supports himself with a part time job in supermarket chain Sainsbury's and says: “it's hard to be disciplined and not spend it [money] on going out and clothes.”

Since October, The NUS have held the Great Higher Education Funding Debate in Westminster, last March, which was covered by Kingston University's student newspaper, 'Sublime'. Students from as far as Liverpool and Canterbury came to represent their universities and pledge support for the NUS.

The reliability of UCAS figures used by the Labour Party to justify the top up fee system was questioned as research shows that almost 100,000 students apply to university but do not continue to take up their agreed place.

A key figure at the debate was MP Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education who defended Labour's Party policy. “Top up fees offer a progressive redistributed system of student support...resulting in poorer students paying back less than their richer classmates.”

But he will surely be made accountable to the promises he made in a letter addressing the Admission Impossible campaign: “that there is absolutely no prospect of the fee cap for UK and EU full-time undergraduates being lifted before 2010 at the earliest.”