Students scrap gap year to avoid fee hike

This year is set to see the death of the gap year as thousands of students decide to go to university now to avoid price hikes next year.

Students starting university this year will be the last to enjoy lower fees of £3,290 a year before tuition fees increase to up to £9,000 in 2012.

In fact, the number of 18 year-olds jetting off on a gap year this year has dropped dramatically from last year – only 6,000 students have decided to defer a solid offer from a university to travel compared to a whopping 20,000 who did last year, according to UCAS.

Even so, Universities are said to be baffled as to why anyone would take a gap year now and are contacting those that are doing so to make sure they understand the price increase.

Clare Beckett, head of recruitment at the University of West London, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: “Gap years are a thing of the past. I can see them not existing. We have had very few people actually wanting to defer.

“Any students that have chosen to defer, we have actually called to remind them there will be a hike in the fees and ask if they really want to defer. A couple still have but very, very few.”

Studies show students starting in 2012 will face an average of £56,000 of debt on graduation, compared with around £27,000 if they started their studies this September.

Stuart Rees Jones, founder of gap year company Camps International which organises volunteer work abroad, has seen an increase in students opting to fit volunteer work around their degree.

Speaking to the Daily Mail he said: “It would be a terrible shame if travel and volunteer work become a life-style choice,” he said

“If students don't do a gap year there's a risk they'll have little to offer but a string of academic qualifications.

“What employers want are individuals. I have faith that future students will recognise this and want to do volunteer work.”

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