24/10/2011 Inside Out West Midlands

On tonight's Inside Out, the true cost of university. Moneyman, Alvin

Hall, as the ultimate guide to the new fees. �75,000. Is that just the

one person? That is just for one person. And he has got some handy

tips on how to avoid them. Record producer Pete Waterman

argues youngsters should think again before taking on university

debt. But can he be convinced of the value of a university

education? They did not say to him, do you have a university degrees?

But he would not have had big business in the first place!

did not make the film! What happens when eight when it dies. The adults

are still struggling to cope it years later -- went a twin dies.

it is like losing half of yourself. I am Mary Rhodes and this is Inside

More than 80% of students studying for A-levels in the Midlands say

they are worried about the level of debt they will face if they go to

university. And they believe it is wrong to ask young people to pay

more for their education. But a survey commissioned by ComRes for

its Inside Out so that most are still believe the benefits outweigh

the costs. Are they right? Not according to Coventry born record

producer Pete Waterman. Music mogul Pete Waterman is a

self-made man. He left school in Coventry without any qualifications.

He went on to make millions managing acts like Kylie and Jason.

Today, for one day only, he is going to university. What were you

doing last night? Where you out clubbing? No. I thought students

went out clubbing every night! things courses like this one at

Staffordshire University in Stoke are a waste of money and claims to

have statistics to prove it. think that some universities are

completely ripping off students with the ridiculous courses that

they have to pay far and there is no future for that cause or that

job. Is it in the public's interest in everything... But Professor

Cashmore disagrees. Despite the imminent hike in fees to nearly

�9,000 the year, he believes young people should go to university. He

believes he can convince Pete to change his mind. I know a lot of

people think the �30,000 pot a university education and you end up

better off? You do it end up a it lot better off. I am going to try

to persuade Pete Waterman that it is worth it. After the lecture, the

two men meet and Professor Cashmore reveals he has a plan. Look at,

Pete. I know you are a sceptic about university education. Today I

am going to introduce you to a few people who I think might change

your mind. I am never too old to change my mind. I think we have

come to believe that universities are right for everyone but quite

plainly they are not. Therefore, it is slightly over sold. I have no

problem with studying, I have no problem that doctors and people

like that need a higher education. But some of the degrees now order

on the ridiculous. I am telling you that university education does pay.

Not simply in terms of money, but in terms of an overall enhancement

of one's intellect. Pete did not go to university but

his daughter did. A chip off the old block, she wants to get into

the music industry. She ignored had bad's advice and did a degree in

vocal performance and production. She has just graduated with a first

and is looking for a job. He is very set in his ways and he does

not see that there might be some benefit in going to university that

does not include a job at the end of it. Sometimes you get the live

experience in the three years. He things you get your wife exposed by

working your way up the ladder. -- life experience. I think it will be

hard to change his mind. He is a pretty stubborn person. Good luck!

Back in Stoke, Professor Cashmore has brought Pete to the union bar

to meet some current students. see it as an investment in my

future. You learn that so much about yourself and about people

around do that helps you. Pete has a surprise for these students. He

has got hold of some of graduate employment statistics. The figures

come from the government's higher education industry and they are

alarming. Fewer than half of students in the West Midlands get a

graduate level job within six months of graduating. I have not

seen this before but looking at it for the first time, it has not put

me off. I am confident enough in my own abilities to succeed and

confident enough in my degree course at what I am going to put in

to finding a job to know that I will get into employment when I

graduate. I it am glad they are positive. If we could spend �20,000

and get every kid in the country do have that much optimism, that is a

great 20 doesn't pounds. But I do not think we have tackled the

problem yet of what we are training them for, how many jobs that are

and how the world is going. With Pete still not convinced, Professor

Cashmore invites him to meet a recent graduate. This man left

Stafford University three years ago with a degree in Business

Information Technology. It got him a job at Capula, a company that

builds computer networks. Was it worth it? A yes, before university,

I have no idea what I wanted to do. It gave me an idea of what was

available, when I went to university. You were driven by the

university and the courses that you went on. It broadened my horizons.

It is something I would definitely do. Professor Cashmore also wants -

- Pete to meet his boss who is recruiting 25 new graduates this

year Vostok I am a firm believer that people going to university

should be going with a specific goal in mind and I disagree with

people doing a variety of subjects not knowing what they're going to

do, particularly as the cost of going to university is increasing,

you shadow -- should have a very good idea of what you are going to

do afterwards. Of a man after my own heart. Professor Cashmore's

plan might have backfired. His trip to Capula has confirmed what Pete

already believes. A degree that is a job specific is fine, but the

others are a waste of time. For the charge that has taken the chance,

seen an opportunity, and that works for them. If all of the

universities did that, I would pay for it myself. Can a Professor

Cashmore poll it background with his last visit? This man graduated

from Staffordshire 11 years ago, with a degree in media technology.

This is a viral film and cinema commercial. Afterwards, he set up

his own video production technology and he is convinced he could not

have done it if he had not gone to university. During the top of his

officers, the debate heats up. did not say to him, do you have a

university degree? But he would not have had the business in the first

place. But you did not make the film?! I can tell you how the

degree helped me. I will show you the rest of the business first and

then we can continue the discussions. When I went to

university, I did a placement which gave me all of the skills I needed

to start the business and to understand how business works. I

know for certain that I would not be here and his business would not

be here if it was not for university. There is no question in

my mind. He does not know if he has convinced the music mogul but he is

sure of one thing. He wants Pete's signatures on this album, one of

his most successful releases. changed your life? It certainly did.

It changed mine too. Has Professor Cashmore managed to convince Pete

that it is Europe that -- where the money? Even if it means racking up

almost �50,000 worth of debt? because what I have seen is exactly

what I thought. I have no problem at university, let us get that

straight. I think learning is vitally important and there is not

enough learning in this country, in fact. What I believe is that we are

too focused on universities and not focused enough on general education.

Best of luck. Pete is a guy who sticks stubbornly to his position.

What can you do? Your present evidence and hope that people

change. When they don't, you think, Is it worth going to university?

Our survey suggested that well over half the students currently working

to get their A-levels would consider an apprenticeship rather

than university if they could gain qualifications. Nearly half are

beginning to look abroad for cheaper options. We asked moneyman

Alvin Hall to come up with a guide to the fees and the some sneaky

ways to avoid them. Young, confused and afraid? This is

what thousands of teenagers across England fear, a lifetime on the run.

But what is chasing them? Student debt. But is it really going to be

the horror-movie that we have been led to believe? Where there you

think next year's hike in fees is fair or not, it is happening. Young

people need to know the facts. I am going to show you what a degree can

really cost and how you can avoid those fees altogether. Next year,

English universities will charge up to �9,000 the year with living

costs on top, graduates can face up to debts -- debts of up to �50,000.

But how much will they actually end up paying back? I have come to meet

some sixth-formers in Birmingham to show them. I think the number is

going to shock them. I think that earning interest over such a long

time paying back the loan really is a number that most people do not

think about. Let us imagine that you graduate from university with

�50,000 worth of debt. You get a high-paying job like we expect

Jacob here will get. How much of that money do you have to pay back?

I am not quite sure but is it all of it? You have to pay back all of

it and more... Interest! O god. God, that is right. �75,000.

that just or one person? That is just for one person. Crazy. Is that

for the average degree? Three years, What it their careers don't go as

planned and they never and more than What -- �21,000 a year? The

amount you have to pay back his... 0. -- the amount you have to pay

back his. What is going on? The repayment of the loan works like

taxes, the more you earn, the more you pay back. If you never earn

above a certain amount, you never paid back a penny. The new

independent taskforce on student finance is led by Martyn Lewis.

biggest confusion is people confusing the price tag, these

�9,000 fees, totalling �50,000, with the actual cost. This is a

different type of system. Many people would come close to repaying

him for what they borrowed and some will not repay anything at all. The

Goldring fact we are putting people off going to university because

they are looking at the price tag and not the cost is the biggest

problem to meet the stop most graduates will face large debt.

there any way of avoiding the fees? Well, yes. You can study abroad. At

the recent student World Fair in London, teenagers discover just how

much they can save. I think everyone would rather go to

university where they are paying �1,000 cheaper. The seas are

cheaper which is attractive, so you will not be in so much dead.

fact, dozens of universities across Europe offer courses taught in

English. The fees differ from country to country but in

Scandinavia, tuition is free. Denmark, there is no tuition fee at

all because the Danish government pays for Danish students and,

according to EU rules, we have to treat other EU citizens alike.

Harriet Moore has already taken the plunge. She's off back to uni in

Slovakia. I am trying to save money on my flight so hand luggage it is!

Over there, she saves a fortune on living costs spending just �100 a

month. I caught up with her via webcam. What would be the piece of

advice that you would give to anyone considering doing what you

have done? I think if you're even considering it, I think you should

go for it. Definitely. It's worth doing. You just get on the plane.

You have to be a bit brave on the first plane journey over but I've

Time's up. I want my money. I want my 50 grand. So, studying overseas

may be one way to outrun the debt. But there are downsides. If you

study abroad, the Government here won't make you a loan. Only some of

the courses are taught in English. And employers might not recognise

foreign degrees. So you need to do your homework. Another way of

beating the fees is to get someone else to pay. But who? Well,

London's financial heartland is a good place to look. Don't be fooled

by the power suits. Believe it or not, these youngsters are all

freshers. They're being sponsored by accountancy giant KPMG.

entire package was a degree, a salary, the tuition fees were paid

and a job at the end. And you obviously were helped to become a

qualified chartered accountant. you think there was a catch in it?

It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? I haven't seen a catch.

You know, as with everything in life, you have to work hard and

that's the only catch, I guess. the man who runs the programme

tells me KPMG don't offer the stereotypical student experience.

They've got to work for us, they've got to study for their degree and

they've also got to obtain their chartered accountant qualification

in six years. That will require hard work and that's all we really

ask of the students who are joining us. And then there are bursaries.

Students from low-income families can get money from various sources

so it's worth trawling the web. But is there another way of escaping

the debt? Well, you could pay up front. 16-year-old Safina Adam is

trying to do just that. As well as studying for her A-levels, she

sells beauty products on her website. I started my business

because I wanted to save up for university and my parents said that

because of the rise in prices of university fees, it would be too

much for them to pay for it. I'm hoping to avoid getting in debt.

Because I know it takes a while to get out of debt and I don't want to

be in that place. The Government allows students to pay up front.

But most will have to take out a loan. But one financial expert

believes that graduates could end up paying back far more than anyone

has predicted. Financial journalist William Cullerne Bowne is warning

students to beware. I think the problem is that the deal is

actually not a deal. There are all these numbers flying about saying

that you'll be charged a certain amount of interest on the loan,

that your repayments will start at �21,000. Over that, you'll be

paying a certain percentage. But actually none of those parameters

are in the contract that the student signs up for. And, in fact,

the Government can change those numbers if it wants to in five

years time or ten years time, 20 years time... 30 years time. So

students could end up paying a lot more. But any big changes would

have to be approved by Parliament. Like many Americans, I graduated

with the equivalent of tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt.

It was daunting. But if you know the facts, student debt doesn't

have to be scary. I confronted it. And so can you.

Alvin Hall with some morale- boosting advise. There are signs

that some local universities are try to come up with cheap option

such as Coventry's two-year part- time degree announced last week. If

you have got any thoughts about the university fees, drop me any male.

-- drop me an e-mail. For our final story, we venture into the

fascinating world of twins. And the devastation caused when the twin

dies. Twins are one of the miracles of

life. In the case of identical twins, one a creating not just two

people but a lifelong -- lifelong bond. -- 1 go. Joan Woodward lost

her twin when she was three years old. Despite her being so young,

she believes her death had a lasting effect. There is no doubt

whatsoever that what it produced was extreme levels of anxiety. And

that I was very lonely. And that, in a way, it is quite well known

among other lone twins that talk about it, because, after all, I

have met very many lone twins, the sense that something is missing,

that something is not there that should be there, the seating of

closeness. I think one of the hardest bits is you want to find

that closeness again but it is never available. In the 80s, she

wrote a book on the subject and interviewed more than 200 lone

twins. Some had lost their twin in adulthood, some in childhood and

some at birth. I think other people were surprised to find how much

twins who had lost their twin at birth was so deeply affected. Of

course that is because there is a lot of evidence to show that the

thing that mattered for those twins was the parental response to the

loss. You know, for mothers to have this agonising experience of giving

birth to one child who is alive and, at the same time, giving birth to a

job that is dead, that is a very traumatic experience. Very painful.

How do you adore one when you're happy and we don't feel terrible --

terribly sad about the other? been interviewed so many lone twins,

she decided to set up a support network for them and they need a

couple of times a year. It is not a therapy group. It is what the twins

can offer each other in understanding and listening to each

other. Since the 1980s, the group has grown. Its website is run by

Nancy Power crew lost her twin, Jane, to suicide when they were 20.

I didn't know how to cope. I had no idea how to... It was not something

I was expecting to have to deal with. I expected to deal with my

parents or other family members dying, but not my sister. Even

though we were not identical, and still felt we were two halves of

one hole. I was the shy one, she was the odd going on. I was the

most tedious one, she was the one that went out fagging it behind the

bike shed and stayed out late at just was more vivacious and

outgoing, and I was shy and retiring, getting on with my little

hobbies. We each had abilities we gave to the other hand I would help

her out with Bob -- with the more academic things, and because of her,

I might have got more outgoing. And I needed her to help me with that,

and she needed me to help her with other things. As soon as that goes,

it is like I felt so lost, and I didn't know... That is the only way

to describe it. I felt completely lost, and didn't know how to

function. It is like... You know, losing half of yourself. Nancy

joined the Lone Twin Network eight years ago and has drawn huge

strength from the support of others. I felt I am not a freak. I'm not

mad for thinking... Because the stuff that goes through your head,

I was going, right, I am going to say what is in my head, this is my

way of thinking. And so I said it, and everyone was nodding around the

group and people saying oh, yes. I have thought that. And I have

thought that. And I thought, oh, right, I am not completely crazy.

Which is the good thing. We can all be crazy to get the. This is the

memorial cloth that I have taken over from other ladies that started

it. It has members names on it with their twins name at the side of it

as a memorial, something a bit more permanent of their twin. It is good

for people that have lost their twin at birth and don't have a

grave to visit or any other kind of memories, or any photographs. There

is something somewhere that is giving their twin a place in the

world. Perhaps that is the most difficult aspect for outsiders to

understand. The grief of those who lost their twin at birth. People

like Jill Ingham cruised win, Julie, was stillborn. She didn't realise

the effect of this until she was in her 20s. It was intense insecurity.

Feeling very frightened about what was going to happen next. I

remember thinking, I don't know what is going to happen. People

would ask a, what do you mean? It was great insecurity. Add a sense

of looking for something. -- and a sense. I spent a lot of time in

foreign cities studying languages and I found myself wandering around,

looking for something, and a feeling of unease and not being

relaxed. That is how it manifested. Like many stillborn children, hurt

when was buried in a grave of an adult that had died at the same

time. The lone twin network was able to help her locate her

unmarked grave. I went along and had a nice plaque made with the

date on. That was 2003. And a little message to her. And it just

felt... I had some flowers. And my parents were very surprised that I

had managed to do all of this through Lone Twin Network, because

they didn't have a clue how to do it. We all felt better for it.

Having found peace through the Lone Twin Network, she wants to now help

others by setting up more regional branches. We have got our first

meeting on 29th October and details can be found on the Lone Twin

Network website. So we will have that. It will be for an afternoon,

with tea and cakes, and that sort of thing. And we go will discuss at

the end of the session what people want to do, whether they think

twice a year or it will be what people want it to be. Twins don't

trust share a birthday it. They share a symbiosis, a special bond,

impossible to replicate. With the help of others in the same

situation, lone twins can find a way through their grief and, in

turn, be of help to others. We did have a very good couple of

sessions in which lone twins went and met parents who had recently

lost a baby. And it was full of the motion, but we felt able to say,

look, we are here, we are interested -- living interesting

lives. Don't start thinking it is a terrible loss. Try to make the

person feel alive they have a good life, and make them glad they had a

twin, and make the most of what they are, because being a lone twin

is a special person. If you have been affected by the

item, you can find details of the Support Group on our Facebook page.

That is all from us for tonight's. On next week's programme, they were

set -- sent to Canada from children's homes in Birmingham. Now

their children are back searching for their Midlands roots.

We are on the road but the Black Country ambulances answering calls