TEACHERS’ union leader Simon Jones has warned that changes to student finance will not just put East Lancashire young people off going to university but learning at school as well.

He reacted to analysis which estimates the average debt of students leaving higher education will rise between £3,800 and £12,500 as a result of changes in the Budget.

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Blackburn Labour MP Kate Hollern has echoed his fears — and Pendle Tory MP Andrew Stephenson has promised to study the new figures.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis says that students from the poorest backgrounds will graduate owing up to £53,000 instead of £40,500 after maintenance grants are replaced by loans, although they will have up to £550 more cash in pocket per year.

The average student will end up with a debt of £3,800 but the cost for the children of middle-income families will rise by £6,000.

Simon Jones, Lancashire national executive member for the National Union of Teachers, said: “This is a tax on aspiration and will not just put young people of going to university but put them off school, education and learning at a much younger age. We will end up with a shortage of graduates and educated and skilled young people.”

Mrs Hollern said: “This level of debt will put young people off going to university and put them off learning at school.

“I am deeply concerned at the impact on the aspirations of the children of less well-off, and indeed better-off, parents.

Mr Stephenson said: “Under the last government we raised tuition fees and everyone said that would put young people from poorer families off. But we had record numbers of children from disadvantaged backgrounds applying for degree courses. Coming from an area where many parents aspire for their children to go to university, I want to study the figures closely.”

The Department For Business, Innovation & Skills said: “The changes provide students with more money in their pockets.”