0:00:01 > 0:00:09Welcome. Here is what is happening tonight. Alvin Hall reveals the
0:00:09 > 0:00:13full cost of a university education. �75,000. We need the Oxford
0:00:13 > 0:00:17brothers still determined to go whatever the cost. It will be hard
0:00:17 > 0:00:23to raise that money. Hopefully I will get a job that pays off the
0:00:23 > 0:00:28dead. If you are passionate you'll do anything for it. Bringing
0:00:28 > 0:00:34foreign wildlife into your home. These are not cuddly, they can be,
0:00:34 > 0:00:44but on their terms. What price the latest exotic pets? It is an
0:00:44 > 0:00:59
0:00:59 > 0:01:02accident waiting to happen. Welcome First, you do not need a degree in
0:01:02 > 0:01:07economics to work out that going to university is going to get more
0:01:07 > 0:01:13expensive. What are the new costs in real terms? Is there a way to
0:01:13 > 0:01:19avoid them? Albert Hall has been crunching the numbers. -- Alvin
0:01:19 > 0:01:25Hall. Young, confused and afraid. This is what thousands of teenagers
0:01:25 > 0:01:33in England fear. A lifetime on the run. What is chasing them? Student
0:01:33 > 0:01:38debt. Is it really going to beat the horror-movie we have been led
0:01:39 > 0:01:46to believe? Whether you think the height in fees is fair or not, it
0:01:46 > 0:01:52is happening. Young people need to know what that fact. I will show
0:01:52 > 0:01:57you what the degree will cost and how to avoid the fees. Next year,
0:01:57 > 0:02:02at English universities will charge up to �9,000 per year. With living
0:02:02 > 0:02:07costs on top, graduates can face debts of up to �50,000. How much
0:02:07 > 0:02:13will they actually end up paying back? I have come to meet some
0:02:13 > 0:02:18sixth-formers in Birmingham to show them. I think the number will shock
0:02:18 > 0:02:24them. Earning interest whilst paying back alone is a number
0:02:24 > 0:02:33people do not think about. If you graduate with �50,000 worth of debt
0:02:33 > 0:02:41and you get a high-paying job, how much of that money do you have to
0:02:41 > 0:02:51pay back? I am not sure, is it all that? It is all dead and more.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57
0:02:57 > 0:03:04Interest. You are right to be scared. �75,000. His back just for
0:03:04 > 0:03:13one person? -- is that for one person. Is it for the average
0:03:13 > 0:03:23degree? It is, if you take and the maximum loan. What if they are
0:03:23 > 0:03:23
0:03:23 > 0:03:32couriers do not go as planned? amount you paid back is zero.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36their careers. What is going on? The repayment of the loan works
0:03:36 > 0:03:43like taxes. If you never earn above a certain amount then you never
0:03:43 > 0:03:47paid back a penny. The new independent task force on student
0:03:47 > 0:03:56finance is led by Martyn Lewis. biggest confusion night there is
0:03:56 > 0:04:00the price tag, �50,000, with the actual cost. This is a very
0:04:00 > 0:04:04different type of system. Many people will not come close to be
0:04:04 > 0:04:10paying in full what they borrowed. Some will not pay back anything at
0:04:10 > 0:04:14all. We are putting people off going university because they are
0:04:14 > 0:04:21looking at the price tag and not the cost is Bass -- is very bad.
0:04:21 > 0:04:28Most people will face debt, so is there a way avoiding fees? Yes, you
0:04:28 > 0:04:34can study abroad. At this they are in London, teenagers discovered how
0:04:34 > 0:04:42much they can say. Everybody would rather go to university and pay
0:04:42 > 0:04:46less. It is cheaper, that is attractive. In fact, dozens of
0:04:46 > 0:04:52universities across Europe offer courses not in English. The fees
0:04:52 > 0:04:59differ from country to country, but in Scandinavia tuition his fee.
0:04:59 > 0:05:08Denmark we have no tuition fees at all because the Danish government
0:05:08 > 0:05:17pays for Danish and EU students. This student has already taken the
0:05:17 > 0:05:23plunge, and is off back to university in Slovakia. Over there,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28she saves a fortune on living costs, spending just �100 per month. I
0:05:28 > 0:05:34caught up with her by a web cam. What advice would you give to
0:05:34 > 0:05:42anybody considering what you have done? If you are considering it you
0:05:42 > 0:05:52should go for it. It is worth doing. You have to be brave, but I have
0:05:52 > 0:05:57
0:05:58 > 0:06:05never looked back. It is great. Time is up. I want my money.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Studying overseas may be one way to avoid the debt. But there are down
0:06:10 > 0:06:15sides. If you study abroad, the government here will not make you a
0:06:15 > 0:06:20loan. Only some of the courses are taught in English. Some employers
0:06:20 > 0:06:27might not recognise foreign degrees, so you must do your homework.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Another way of beating the fees is getting someone else to pay.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35London's financial heartland is a good place to look. Do not be
0:06:35 > 0:06:41fooled by the suits. Believe it or not, these youngsters are all
0:06:41 > 0:06:49freshers. They are sponsored by an accountancy firm. The entire
0:06:49 > 0:06:55package was a degree, salary, tuition fees were paid, and a job
0:06:55 > 0:07:02at the end. You were helped to become a qualified and chartered
0:07:02 > 0:07:10accountant. Is there a catch? is not a catch, I do not think so.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14You must work hard, if you want, that is the catch. The man who runs
0:07:14 > 0:07:19the programme tells me they do not offer the stereotypical student
0:07:19 > 0:07:25experience. This is an extremely intensive programme, they have to
0:07:25 > 0:07:32work for us, study for their degree, and obtain their qualification in
0:07:33 > 0:07:37six years. That will require hard work. That is all we require.
0:07:37 > 0:07:44there are bursaries. Students from low-income families can get money
0:07:44 > 0:07:51from various sources. It is worth trawling the Web. Is there another
0:07:51 > 0:07:58way of avoiding the dead? -- avoiding the deficit? You can pay
0:07:59 > 0:08:04up front. This girl is trying to do just that. As well as studying for
0:08:04 > 0:08:11her A-levels, she sells beauty products on her website. I set up
0:08:11 > 0:08:16my business to save up for university. My parents said it
0:08:16 > 0:08:23would be too much for them to pay, and I hope to avoid not getting in
0:08:23 > 0:08:26debt because I know it takes a long while to get out of it.
0:08:26 > 0:08:33government allows students to pay upfront but most will have to take
0:08:33 > 0:08:41out a loan. One financial expert believes graduates could end up
0:08:41 > 0:08:46paying far more than anyone has predicted. This financial
0:08:46 > 0:08:56journalist warns students to be wary. The problem is the deal is
0:08:56 > 0:08:56
0:08:56 > 0:09:00not the deal. There are all these numbers flying about about payments
0:09:00 > 0:09:07starting at �21,000, percentages, but none of those are in the
0:09:07 > 0:09:13contract. In fact, the Government can change those numbers if it
0:09:13 > 0:09:21wants to in five years or 10 years. Students could end up paying a lot
0:09:21 > 0:09:24more. Any big changes would have to be approved by Parliament. Like
0:09:25 > 0:09:29many Americans, I graduated with the equivalent of tens of thousands
0:09:29 > 0:09:37of pounds worth of deficit. It was daunting, but if you know the facts,
0:09:37 > 0:09:46student debt does not have to be scary. I confronted it and so can
0:09:46 > 0:09:51you. Despite the worrying predictions, a
0:09:51 > 0:09:55survey commissioned by asked shows that only 10 % of sixth-formers are
0:09:55 > 0:10:00now worried about going on to university. The vast majority of
0:10:00 > 0:10:06people are quite happy to leave home and eat cold baked beans. Once
0:10:06 > 0:10:14they get there, how do they know they get value for money? I always
0:10:14 > 0:10:17lock the door. Mary is doing A- levels in Winchester but hopes to
0:10:17 > 0:10:23go to university. Her three-year degree course in journalism will
0:10:23 > 0:10:28leave her with tuition fees of �27,000. She needs to be sure she
0:10:28 > 0:10:33is making the right choice. In the beginning and looked at all the
0:10:33 > 0:10:36prospectuses I could, got the feeling for many universities, and
0:10:36 > 0:10:41look at the ones that did journalism courses, look at how
0:10:41 > 0:10:49they were positioned in surveys, student satisfaction. Is it all
0:10:49 > 0:10:52about league tables? Not completely, but you can tell, sometimes there
0:10:52 > 0:10:57is a percentage of high many students get jobs when they come
0:10:57 > 0:11:04out of university. The whole point of university is getting a
0:11:04 > 0:11:13successful career. Today, she and sizes of others -- she and
0:11:13 > 0:11:19thousands of others are checking out Bournemouth University.
0:11:19 > 0:11:28Bournemouth will charge just over �8,000 for most courses. Mary's
0:11:28 > 0:11:33degree will be the full 9,000. -- �9,000. At first it made me not
0:11:33 > 0:11:37want to go to university but I have to go for it. I will pay off
0:11:37 > 0:11:42eventually. Despite the horrible cost, I will get a degree and a
0:11:42 > 0:11:47good job. One of the most important questions is you have to ask
0:11:47 > 0:11:51yourself what you will earn over the course of a career, in
0:11:51 > 0:11:54comparison to whether I go to university or not. The other thing
0:11:54 > 0:11:58is to think about the benefits of university that are not just
0:11:58 > 0:12:04financial. The networking, the opportunities to do things not
0:12:04 > 0:12:11available to others. What is your favourite part about being here?
0:12:11 > 0:12:17The beach is the best bit. The nearest beach for me used to be a
0:12:17 > 0:12:20small one, so being able to go down the beach is really nice. Is it a
0:12:21 > 0:12:28worry that she will potentially come out with a huge amount of
0:12:28 > 0:12:38debt? It will always be in the back of my mind. If I could pay it back
0:12:38 > 0:12:39
0:12:39 > 0:12:47for her, we would try to do that. But if you have not paid for it in
0:12:47 > 0:12:5430 years, it is written off. Like Mary, these three brothers from
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Oxford who came from Somalia at as asylum seekers six years ago, all
0:12:58 > 0:13:08want to go to university. If they do between them they will rack up
0:13:08 > 0:13:11
0:13:11 > 0:13:18I do not come from a wealthy background. It would be hard for me
0:13:18 > 0:13:24to raise the money. It's a lot of money but it would help to get a
0:13:24 > 0:13:27better job to pay off the debt and feed a family. It is value-for-
0:13:27 > 0:13:32money if you know that is what you want to do, if you're passionate
0:13:32 > 0:13:38about it and you would be willing to do anything. They are students
0:13:38 > 0:13:44in Oxford and are determined to make it to university. If you try
0:13:44 > 0:13:51your best there is hope, rather than not going to uni and being
0:13:51 > 0:13:59useless. Going to you me, isn't it about being able to pick up those
0:13:59 > 0:14:05qualities you need to pursue a job as well as from ships. Living in
0:14:05 > 0:14:11Oxford, the boys have to universities on their doorstep.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16Oxford Brookes and another with a slightly more global reputation.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22Oxford University is ranked in the world's top 10, former students
0:14:22 > 0:14:26include 26 prime ministers, Nobel Prize winners, six Kingers, 12
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Saints and possibly a partridge in a pear tree. With their reputation,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35it is not surprising it attracts the best students with the best A-
0:14:35 > 0:14:40level grades. As the oldest university in the English-speaking
0:14:40 > 0:14:45world, it has had time to get it right. They have been teaching for
0:14:45 > 0:14:51nearly 800 years. What makes a box that stand out is the use of
0:14:51 > 0:14:56tutorials as the bedrock of teaching. One of two students meet
0:14:56 > 0:15:01with an expert in their field but for the overall comparison to find
0:15:01 > 0:15:07out how Oxford fares, you meet league tables. Let's look at a
0:15:07 > 0:15:13random league table. One produced by the Telegraph for English. The
0:15:13 > 0:15:19figures to look at, the student and staff ratio, 12-1, it varies across
0:15:19 > 0:15:27the south, 22-1. Another interesting figure is the spend per
0:15:28 > 0:15:34student, Oxford at over 7,000, the others around a half or two-thirds.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39I would say to come and look around and speak to students, you can only
0:15:39 > 0:15:44get some information from league tables but if you do a league table
0:15:44 > 0:15:51of financial support, we are near the top. His Oxford still
0:15:51 > 0:15:57attainable for anyone? -- his Oxford. You do not pay up front, it
0:15:57 > 0:16:02depends when you pay it back, it is attainable for anyone. League
0:16:02 > 0:16:07tables may be a rough guide but with more than 100 universities to
0:16:07 > 0:16:13choose from, including Oxford, how do you choose? At Sherborne in
0:16:13 > 0:16:19Dorset, 95% of students go to university and they are lucky
0:16:19 > 0:16:24because the careers adviser is the man in the nave. You visited or 120
0:16:24 > 0:16:29universities across the UK. What have you learnt? The most important
0:16:29 > 0:16:35thing is there is a rich diversity, one institution is different from
0:16:35 > 0:16:42another. Can you rely on brand names? Definitely not. The first
0:16:42 > 0:16:49rule in applying is not to rely on brand-name loyalty. But try to find
0:16:49 > 0:16:55out the evidence of water is on offer. How do establish where the
0:16:55 > 0:17:01university is a valuable? The value is an individual's judgment, the
0:17:01 > 0:17:04applicants judgment. I do think that universities should give clear
0:17:04 > 0:17:12evidence on what exactly they are delivering in terms of teaching and
0:17:12 > 0:17:19how what is delivered. Charlie, you are interested in history. Yes.
0:17:19 > 0:17:27Which universities on your list? The five are orcs that, as the
0:17:27 > 0:17:33first Jewess, UCL, and then at Durham, Exeter and York. Is one
0:17:33 > 0:17:37better because of the reputation? It depends what you want to pursue
0:17:37 > 0:17:46as a career. And look at what universities provide the best
0:17:46 > 0:17:50option rather than saying that this brand name is better than the other.
0:17:50 > 0:17:58If you go to big brand and a little brand but the little brand felt
0:17:58 > 0:18:02better but the big brand did not feel so good on the inside, you
0:18:02 > 0:18:08must look at what is good on the inside which has the quality of the
0:18:08 > 0:18:13course. What is your top tip? at the student union website where
0:18:13 > 0:18:19you might find election manifestos of the student union elections and
0:18:19 > 0:18:24you might find sometimes that might show you some of the current issues.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30The problems a bits-and-pieces. That is brilliant. A good top tip.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35In the future, students will be giving more thought to where they
0:18:35 > 0:18:42study, or for some other more important things than value for
0:18:42 > 0:18:46money? She loves -- he leads dance and drama, what makes a difference
0:18:46 > 0:18:51is what offers the best degree course in psychology plus the
0:18:51 > 0:18:58opportunity to pursue his passion. For me, the process of university
0:18:58 > 0:19:04is about having to struggle and suffer and learn from it. By taking
0:19:04 > 0:19:08the risks, it helps to empower yourself as a person. I am looking
0:19:08 > 0:19:14at how happy I will be here because I live here for three years. I need
0:19:14 > 0:19:23to be somewhere where I will enjoy myself and to be learning. And it's
0:19:23 > 0:19:31got a beach. Yes, I would not mind paying extra to be nearer beach!
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Do not forget if you have a story, drop me an e-mail. Are you quite
0:19:35 > 0:19:37sure that a fox is responsible for knocking over your bins at night
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and scattering rubbish across your garden? I ask only because another
0:19:40 > 0:19:45wily scavenger is becoming increasingly at home in our gardens
0:19:45 > 0:19:52- Isolated escapees, or something more sinister? JG went to Hampshire
0:19:52 > 0:19:57to learn more. I looked out of the window and I saw an animal walking
0:19:57 > 0:20:02across the garden. I grabbed my camera and followed it around in to
0:20:02 > 0:20:07the back garden. I took a few photographs. As I followed it, I
0:20:07 > 0:20:14thought this is not a cat, it is bigger. It looked about 18 inches
0:20:14 > 0:20:20long. It seemed quite tame. It was not afraid of me, it did not run
0:20:20 > 0:20:27away. I was following it along. I thought our these dangerous
0:20:27 > 0:20:30animals? Should I be worried? Will it bite me? I took small
0:20:30 > 0:20:34photographs and we came to the back of the garden near the greenhouse
0:20:34 > 0:20:38and a looked like it was a raccoon. Racoons in Chandlers Ford is just
0:20:38 > 0:20:41for starters. Wild cats have been sighted in Southampton. Coypu are
0:20:41 > 0:20:51roaming wild in West Berkshire and skunks are causing a pong in
0:20:51 > 0:20:52
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Gloucestershire. So where have they all come from? Meet Michelle. She
0:20:55 > 0:21:05breeds and trades in exotic animals, and her favourite, the racoons,
0:21:05 > 0:21:06
0:21:06 > 0:21:10take centre stage in her Portsmouth home. Racoons are not for everyone,
0:21:10 > 0:21:17I do not suggest any body with young children has won. It is a
0:21:17 > 0:21:21business, not just a hobby. I have to be licensed because of the
0:21:21 > 0:21:26volume of babies I am selling. If it was just my own I would not need
0:21:26 > 0:21:32licensing but I am selling on behalf of our that readers. I like
0:21:32 > 0:21:36to have my hands on the animals. I do advise people that have raccoons
0:21:36 > 0:21:42to not treat it like a child, do not treated like a dog or anything
0:21:42 > 0:21:46else. Let it be a reckoning. they breed the life question mark
0:21:46 > 0:21:49note, the mail will mate with as many females as he can. But
0:21:49 > 0:21:55Michelle is aware that racoons could easily survive if let loose
0:21:55 > 0:22:02in the British countryside. If they got into the it while they would do
0:22:02 > 0:22:09very well. That is down to good husbandry, -- into the wild.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Keeping them from escaping. This event at Vesham in
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Worcestershire is one of many that gives the public an opportunity to
0:22:14 > 0:22:18risk sticking their fingers in cages. Although no animals are for
0:22:18 > 0:22:21sale today cards are handed out and deals done later for the people
0:22:21 > 0:22:31still set on bringing something from the wild into their home -
0:22:31 > 0:22:32
0:22:32 > 0:22:39even the more bizarre ones. What is that? So guinea-pigs. They have
0:22:39 > 0:22:49longer and flatter feet. It is like rubber. What is she saying about
0:22:49 > 0:22:49
0:22:49 > 0:22:59you! They are not domesticated. They are not like cats and dogs.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00
0:23:00 > 0:23:06They're still very wild. Hello, Derek. I have looked already, the
0:23:06 > 0:23:10main thing is that the organisers insist this is about education and
0:23:11 > 0:23:16not promotion. I want you to have a look. Into the lion's den steps
0:23:16 > 0:23:24Derek Gow. He's a conservationist who's concerned at the havoc non-
0:23:24 > 0:23:27native species could bring to British wildlife. I have been
0:23:27 > 0:23:32involved in projects to reintroduce animals that should be here like
0:23:32 > 0:23:39water voles and beavers. Quite a number of years there has been
0:23:39 > 0:23:45fighting about it. Many of these animals are attuned to the British
0:23:45 > 0:23:51environment. Many of these animals have nothing to do with here and
0:23:51 > 0:23:57could cause long-term threats to his rival of native wildlife.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02could spray in my face but it is unlikely. I am a mechanic. She
0:24:02 > 0:24:12stays in the offices. So anyone that doesn't pay, you get her out?
0:24:12 > 0:24:14
0:24:14 > 0:24:19I am not the moral arbiter. It is a security issue, they should be
0:24:19 > 0:24:25legislation when it comes to animals which could cause problems
0:24:25 > 0:24:28for native wildlife. So if Derek's reintroducing the water vole to our
0:24:28 > 0:24:34streams. Last thing he wants is a population of raccoons muscling in.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40I have been involved with mammals for a long time. In 30 years I have
0:24:40 > 0:24:47been involved with native species, there have been a number of
0:24:47 > 0:24:53animals... The raccoons and reading on Loch Lomond and the potential is
0:24:53 > 0:24:58for these animals to cause problems. The issue is this is a government
0:24:58 > 0:25:03responsibility. You can now walk away from this. The implications
0:25:03 > 0:25:09were not be in our lifetime but in the future. When it comes to it, if
0:25:09 > 0:25:13you have established populations at wild it will have a knock-on impact
0:25:13 > 0:25:16for native wildlife. It is the Government's responsibility. Back
0:25:16 > 0:25:26in Portsmouth, Michelle sells dozens of raccoons a year, and sees
0:25:26 > 0:25:26
0:25:26 > 0:25:36no problem with it. You can understand if these things got into
0:25:36 > 0:25:43
0:25:43 > 0:25:47the countryside, it would be like mink for her. They are a handful,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49as you can see. If the concerns are justified then this trade in
0:25:50 > 0:25:53raccoons and Michelle's other wild animals will be more tightly
0:25:54 > 0:26:03regulated if not banned completely. It'd be the end of Michelle's home
0:26:04 > 0:26:06
0:26:06 > 0:26:11pet shop. How much is this chap question mark �700. People pay it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:18Imagine what you pay for a pedigree dog, it is the same line. What is
0:26:18 > 0:26:23the attraction? They are an intelligent dog. They are more fun.
0:26:23 > 0:26:32They are more exotic. There are different. These are becoming very
0:26:32 > 0:26:36popular. They are really nice docile animals. I am getting daily
0:26:36 > 0:26:39inquiries for skunks. Michelle has also set up a stall promoting her
0:26:39 > 0:26:42animals at the Evesham show. Unlike Derek, she feels that exotic pets
0:26:42 > 0:26:51are now part of our landscape, and self regulation should be the way
0:26:51 > 0:26:54forward. You'll never stop people wanting to keep exotics. If I
0:26:54 > 0:26:59police it, some of these animals are getting all of their needs met.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03The problem is, it is not people that are responsible, it is people
0:27:03 > 0:27:08who were irresponsible. Racoons are right to Europe now and the
0:27:08 > 0:27:11potential for them to establish an do well in a climate and have a
0:27:11 > 0:27:20profound knock-on implications for native species is incredibly
0:27:20 > 0:27:25worrying. I do not disagree. I make sure that every person I sell a
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Macken took his fully vetted. not a case of goodwill, they should
0:27:27 > 0:27:32be legislation which makes it very difficult for people to have
0:27:32 > 0:27:36animals like this and for some species to be prohibited. It is an
0:27:36 > 0:27:39accident waiting to happen. It is only time. But for Michelle any
0:27:39 > 0:27:45legislation would hit her hard, not just in her pocket but in the
0:27:45 > 0:27:49pleasure she gets daily from her very wild lifestyle. I would go out
0:27:49 > 0:27:56of my head if I didn't have my animals. I am not satisfied with a
0:27:56 > 0:28:01cat and dog. I am not a doggie person. Dogs are to needy for me.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Interesting. I would find it horrible if I did not have my
0:28:06 > 0:28:11animals. I would be devastated if they ban racoons. That means that
0:28:11 > 0:28:19is it. When I have lost an, that is it. I would never be able to have
0:28:19 > 0:28:28any others. -- lost them. I do not bite, drop me an e-mail and see
0:28:28 > 0:28:33next week! The dangers of a life- saving heart operation for Harry.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38They will pull him -- put him out with gas and air. This children's
0:28:38 > 0:28:42unit in Southampton is threatened with closure. The government wants