University chiefs have said they are worried that the prospect of debt could be stopping people going into higher education.

Diana Warwick, the chief executive of Universities UK, which represents the heads of universities and higher education colleges, said vice-chancellors were becoming "increasingly concerned" about student debt.

She said: "They are especially worried when this leads to students dropping out or, in a few cases, to excluding students."

Poorer students

In an interview for the website e-Politix.com, Diana Warwick said university bosses were especially worried about the danger of deterring students from poorer backgrounds.

"There may be groups of people who are being put off because of the likely costs and their aversion to debt.

"I'm thinking here of those from the poorest backgrounds who are the focus of government and university targets for expanding access to higher education."

Tuition fees

She insisted that debts were not due to tuition fees - which have been widely opposed by students.

"These debts are not primarily a result of tuition fees, 97% of which were repaid last year," she said.

Universities UK has commissioned a study of the experiences and attitudes of young people to debt.

Preliminary findings will be published this autumn and the complete study will be out in 2002.

Diana Warwick also said the government should review what she called "the plethora" of schemes offering bursaries and help to students so they were used to best effect.

"We need to make sure that the new types of students we are seeking to reach - the most disadvantaged groups in society - can be sustained financially as well as academically through university," she said.