皇冠体育app

University isn鈥檛 for everyone. Sometimes vocational training is better 鈥� an apprenticeship or a course other than a degree.

But it is important that, if you aren鈥檛 considering university, it鈥檚 for the right reasons.

I want to make sure not a single one of you is being put off a degree because you think it鈥檚 something you can鈥檛 afford.

I鈥檓 sure you know that, a few years ago, government took the decision to allow universities to raise their fees.

皇冠体育appre was a fair amount of anger about that.

皇冠体育app previous government had introduced fees, increased them and then commissioned a review into raising them again.

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But what matters to me now is that you know you can still afford to go to university - and that you don鈥檛 let the myths that have emerged crowd out the facts.

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I made absolutely sure that it wouldn鈥檛 turn a degree into a luxury for the very rich.

I made sure that no student pays a penny up front 鈥� you don鈥檛 pay anything back until you leave university, get a job and you鈥檙e earning at least 拢21,000.

I made sure that your repayments depend on your salary 鈥� so, if you earn less, you pay back less every month.

I made sure that, if you don鈥檛 earn enough to pay it back, eventually the money you owe is written off.

I made sure it鈥檚 actually easier than before for disadvantaged young people to get a degree by increasing the grants and support that鈥檚 available and by forcing universities to open up their doors and attract more students from lower income homes.

I understand why, when I said these things at the time, people were sceptical. That certainly wasn鈥檛 helped by some of the wild predictions being thrown around: student numbers would plummet; university places would need to be slashed; for thousands of Britain鈥檚 young people a university degree would become a thing of the past.

But not only have these predictions failed to materialise 鈥� the exact opposite has happened.

We now have the highest application rates ever.

More young men and women are going full-time to university than ever before.

A higher proportion of students from poorer backgrounds are going than ever before 鈥� 18-year-olds from disadvantaged homes are actually 70% more likely to enter higher education than they were 10 years ago.

Entry rates for students from nearly every ethnic minority are at their highest level ever.

So to all of you, to each and every one of you: if a degree is what you want, you can still have it 鈥� you鈥檝e just got to work hard. We鈥檝e even removed the arbitrary cap on the number of university places available so as many people who want to go, can.

To the mums and dads in the room: if you鈥檝e always hoped to one day see that framed graduation photo of your son or daughter on your mantelpiece 鈥� you can still have it.

Whatever you heard in the past, don鈥檛 let it lower your sights for the future.

University may not be for everyone, but it is open to everyone.

Getting a degree depends on ability, not ability to pay.

皇冠体育app highest ever application rates. More people doing full-time courses than ever before. A higher proportion of young men and women from disadvantaged backgrounds going. Higher grants to help the poorest students. No one paying back a penny until they鈥檙e earning a decent wage. And, if they can鈥檛 afford it, no one paying a penny back at all.

Forget the myths; be led by the facts, and make the right decision for you.