Oldham Borough's Young Face Huge Student Debts

11.42.42am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 2nd Jul 2009

Oldham Young Lib Dems are saddened by the government announcement today that student loans and grants are to be frozen, while tuition fees will still increase.

Kate Crawford, 20, said: "I am already in £12,000 of debt with another year to go of my studies. One of the reasons I am a Liberal Democrat is their policy of abolishing tuition fees altogether."

Alex Smith, 18, said: "I am hoping to be the first one in my family to get to university, but I am worried about getting in to so much personal debt."

Elwyn Watkins, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Oldham East & Saddleworth, said, "Research shows that student debt discourages less well-off people from going to university. Labour's changes will get each student into hundreds of pounds of extra debt.

"I think it is morally wrong that someone should start out their working life with a huge personal debt. When I was a student I was on a full grant and the fees were paid by the government. I am not sure I would have gone to university if this had not been the case. As a result of going to university I now earn a good wage and have repaid the help given to me many times over in taxes."