“These figures foretell the crisis awaiting graduates this summer as a result of the recession. Only a few days ago, we heard that the country’s top employers will be cutting this year’s intake of new graduates by 28%. Students are racking up thousands of pounds of debt because of fees, and many will be extremely worried at the lack of job prospects when they leave university.
“And it isn't just graduate jobs which are at risk from the credit crunch. Many students have to work part-time to finance their studies, and we may see more of them having to drop out if they lose these jobs.
“Those Vice Chancellors who are arguing for the cap on fees to be lifted in the coming year must think again, unless they want to plunge a generation of students and graduates into even worse debt during a time of economic crisis.”