Once again the thoughts of parents and young people turn to university education and whether the new system of fee payment will discourage some from applying.

Alarming figures of its alleged full cost are headlined but we should remind ourselves the actual cost of the education is £9,000 and "poor"

students will receive a grant of £2,700 annually towards this.

Other costs are all living expenses, which they would incur whether they went to university or not.

We are told a graduate is expected earn, on average, £150,000 more in a lifetime than a non-graduate and the Government hopes the system will result in more "first-timers"

from poor families applying, thus setting up new family traditions.

It would be a shame if this doesn't happen. For too long, some people have believed university education is "not for the likes of us", while other parents fear if a child goes to university, it will become increasingly divorced from its family.

The Government's chief concern, of course, is the future of the country's economy and the adequate supply of suitable skills.

But university education's prime benefit, far beyond mere economic considerations, is to improve the quality of an individual's life.

It is to be hoped families which have never sent a child to university will continue to be encouraged to do so in order that the quality of their lives will be enriched, however much they earn. This may be a £150,000 investment in the Government's eyes but these personal advantages are beyond measure.

  • RG Jenkins