A lot’s changed at universities over the last 25 years. In the 1990s, the number of students attending increased massively, as did the number of institutions, with all polytechnics allowed to convert themselves into universities. Maintenance, once provided to poorer students in the form of grants, switched to loans; then in 1998, tuition fees were introduced at £1,000 a year. This was raised to a maxiumum of £3,000 in 2004, and later, the tutition fee cap increased in 2012 to an eye-watering £9,000 a year.
As a result, many youngsters are now questioning whether the huge debt associated with a degree is worth it. And this is bringing renewed attention to a range of shorter, more intensive courses offered by colleges like Shillington, Hyper Island, Escape Studios and the new…
