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A new survey has revealed the alarming amount of top-performing sixth-formers in the UK that lack basic knowledge of the tuition fees system.
The survey of 3,000 teenagers with predicted top grades at A-level, conducted by independent body Pure Potential, found that less than a third of the most high-achieving teenagers understand how they would be able to pay their way through university .
Experts believe the "alarming level of confusion" amongst teenagers may deter them from applying to university, particularly as some believe they must pay fees up front before starting their course .
The research found that 60 per cent of the most high-achieving Year 12 state school pupils had received no information from their school on coping financially as a student, while almost half rated their school’s careers advice service as poor or very poor.
More than half said they would be seriously deterred from going to university if tuition fees rose from £3,000 to £7,500 a year, while one in seven potential students would still be put off even if the cap was raised to £5,000.
A fifth of teenagers also cited tuition fess as a major factor in their decision to live at home and commute to university .
Marc Zao-Sanders, the managing director of Pure Potential, said ignorance amongst school leavers about the support available to them could mean huge numbers missed out on university .
"Despite the wide range of resources available for young people, our survey shows that an alarming level of confusion persists," he said.
"With such a lack of basic knowledge about student finance, we can only expect that a huge number of students will limit themselves to cheaper local university options or reject higher education altogether."
He added: "The Government, schools, the higher education sector and employers all have an important role to play in intervening early to bridge the information gap."
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