Course: Medicine Year: 3rd of 5 Home: Middlesbrough Current debt: �6,500 Debt by course end: �25,000

Do you work? I work part time in a GP surgery on Tyneside. It works out at about 14 hours a week.

Do you worry about money? I try not to think too much about it. But I am a good planner and keep an eye on what goes out.

Has lack of funds made you consider dropping out? No. But I know a few friends who started the same course who have called it a day.

OUTGOINGS Rent: �172 per month, shared house Travel: �10 per week Food: �10 per week Typical meal: Pasta Going out: �20-�25 per week Other expenses: Books, mobile phone, girlfriend

Would you still have gone to university under the proposed scheme? It would be a tough decision, but I think I would still have gone ahead, even if my parents couldn't or wouldn't help me.

I want to be a doctor and they are fairly well paid. I think I should be starting on about �24,000 when I get my first post, so I'll be paying back straight away.

Course: Criminal Justice and International Relations Year: Repeating 2nd Home: Kent Current debt: �13-14,000 Debt by course end: �14,500

Are you worried about money? I have had times where I have made myself physically ill worrying about the amount of debt I'm in. It's always a little devil sitting on my shoulder which is just getting bigger and bigger.

Has lack of funds made you consider dropping out?
I don't enjoy my course any more and would love to swap to a law degree but I can't because of the cost.

OUTGOINGS Tuition: �500 this year - half normal cost as repeating a year Rent: �200 per month, shared flat Food: �20 per week Typical meal: Pasta or soup Going out: �20 per week Other expenses: Travel, mobile phone, clothes

I want to work for a few years and try and sort my finances out and then hopefully try and get a law degree to become a solicitor.

The situation makes me very angry, Tony Blair's children will never have this problem. My parents' situation is horrendous with two of us at university and two other children still at home to pay for.

Would you still have gone to university under the proposed scheme? No. It seems that soon a university education will only be for the extremely wealthy or extremely disciplined who don't mind just existing rather than living.

Course: Trading Standards Year: 1st Home: Cardiff Current debt: �4,000 Debt by course end: �12-16,000

Do you work? I had my own demolition company and used to work 20 hours a week but it's something you've got to do in the daytime and I had to give it up because of the commitment of my course.

Are you worried about money? Yes - as much as anybody who has got to study without having a steady income.

OUTGOINGS Rent: �248 per month, halls Food: �30 per week Typical meal: Bread-based, something filling Going out: I don't go out at all Other expenses: None - all goes on food and rent

Has lack of funds made you consider dropping out? It has stopped me from joining in the social side of things. A lot of students are out twice or three times a week but I can't afford to go out.

I'm missing out on that important aspect of university in meeting people from other walks of life.

Would you still have gone to university under the scheme proposed for England? Yes - at my age I can't afford not to and I've really got to make a go of this.

Course: English and African Studies Year: 3rd Home: near Manchester Current debt: �8,000 Debt by course end: �10,000

Do you work? Not during term, but full-time in a call centre in the holidays - 45 hours a week.

Are you worried about money? I am because if you think of the figure that I'm leaving university in debt with, it's ridiculous. I just think: 'Well, how am I going to pay it back?'

And because I'm doing an arts degree I don't have any specific job I'm going into, so I'm worried about what job I'm going to get and how I'm going to pay my debts back."

OUTGOINGS Rent: �170 per month, shared house Food: �30 per week Typical meal: Pasta Going out: �30 per week Other expenses: Mobile phone, books, travel

Would you still have gone to university under the proposed scheme? I'd have to consider it more fully, but probably I'd still go. I'd think about my career more before I went to university.

I wouldn't just go to university like I have done and just do English and see where it takes me.

Course: European Studies and Spanish Year: 4th (final) Home: Herefordshire Current debt: None

But I'm still always worrying about what I'll have left at the end of the month.

Do you work? No, I did work in bars during my first and second years.

But I want to get a good degree and it does affect your studies - so this year I am more restricted financially.

OUTGOINGS Rent: None Food: �25-�30 per week Typical meal: Jacket potato and salad Going out: �20-�25 per night out Travel: �65 per month

Would you still have gone to university under the proposed scheme? Yes, but I'm glad I'm not going to be a student in 2006, I still don't think it's right.

I appreciate how lucky I am and I would hate to ask my parents for more money to cover bigger fees.

Course: History and Social Sciences Year: 3rd Home: Swindon Current debt: �10,000 Debt by course end: �11,000

Do you work? Yes, bar work for about 15 hours a week. I work to afford the lifestyle I want to lead. I'm not that extravagant, but if I want things I can justify it more because I work for it.

Do you worry about money? I do worry about money. I'm probably going to do a postgraduate course anyway and I'll have to fund that myself - that's about �4,000.

I feel like I need to do a postgraduate course in order to give me a better chance to get a job.

OUTGOINGS Rent: �175 per month, shared house Food: �25 per week Typical meal: Meat and two veg Going out: �40 per week Other expenses: Petrol and running a car

Would you still have gone to university under the proposed scheme? I don't think it would really stop me. It's drilled into you, really, if you're bright, you go to university.

But I'd look to see what universities were going to offer me. You want to see whether you're going to get value for money from a course.

It's fair enough the government saying people have to pay for getting a better opportunity in life. But my history degree doesn't seem to do that because for a lot of the [post grad] courses I apply for they say you need media experience.