24/10/2011 Inside Out West

Here is a question for you. What links Jack Russell, Bear Grylls and

Samantha Cameron? Well, the answer is they also need here, at the

University of the West of England. In tonight's programme, with

tuition fees on their way up, is it still worth investing in a degree

course? It is a hard decision to make. I am

worried about not having a job at the end of it. Money expert Alvin

Hall works out exactly how much students could end up having to

repay. If I am going to show you what a degree can really cost and

how you can avoid those fees altogether. Also in the programme,

digging through the Cotswolds. The volunteers trying to restore a

canal between the Severn and the Thames. How does a toilet seat

ended in a canal? A matches and one was using it as a frisbee. I am

Alastair McKee, and this is Inside A survey for Inside Out has

discovered that 10% of A-level students could be put off going to

university because of the rising cost of tuition. The survey

questioned more than 1000 pupils aged 16 to 18, and the results

suggest that higher fees could lead to a drop in applications. In our

first film tonight, we talked to a 17-year-old A-level student from

My name is Lauren Scott. I am in my last year of school. I'm doing

three A-levels, but I do know what -- do not know what to do when I

finish. I have been put off going to university because of the

increase in tuition fees. I could end up paying up to �9,000 pay year

and I do not know if it is worth it. It is decision time. Do I go to

university? How much is many a issue for the

rest of you? It is putting me off a lot. Even when it was just �3,000

for the year, even that was still a big debt to come out with.

My university application means being in just a few weeks. I am

running out of time. And going on a journey to make the biggest

decision of my life so far. Being independent has always been very

important to me. That is �12 and asinine. At the moment, I have

three jobs. One of them is a gift shop in Malmesbury in Wiltshire. I

really do not know how I could afford to go to university. At the

moment, with people not been guaranteed a job at the end of

university, it is a hard decision to make. I am really not sure what

I want to do. If I apply to university, I fancy studying media,

but I also enjoy being independent and would like to in -- run my own

business full-time. I am going to pick the brains of two guys I

really admire. 80 years ago, Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg set up

PieMinister in Bristol. It has grown into a hugely successful

business. Jon went to university, but Tristan did not, choosing

instead to become a chef. Your decision not to go to university

has benefited you? For me, what was really important was getting a

trade, something I could carry on. The business has been very positive

and I am not in debt. For me, it was a different approach. I made

the decision that I was going to be working for 50 years. I wanted to

put out of as long as possible and have some fun. You get a great

chance to meet lots of exciting people you would never normally get

a chance to beat. The debt side of things, you get loans, you can pay

it back it gradually. It is not a big deal. We have just confused you

even more! And I may be confused about university, but meeting Jon

and Christine has these in my belief that I could be a successful

businesswoman. One of my other job is selling candles. Christmas is

one of the exciting part of the year. It is also one that people

dread for money. I have been doing this in his January and I plan to

keep it going for as long as I can. It is earning me lots of money that

I would not usually have and it is making me a lot more independent,

so that is why I started the business will start there is a t

light holder. You can get everything is in this range, some

things that hang from the wall. I have built up my own customer base.

If I decided not to go to university, I could do this full-

time and it would compensate for a full-time wage. That is always an

option. But before I make my final decision, I think they should

actually visit a university teacher I would not be missing out on

anything. Nick, Sarah and Meenal are also in the type of course I

might be interested in at the University of the West of England

in Bristol. It is charging �9,000 a year for students like me he would

start next September. Do you feel that all the money you have paid to

study these courses will be worth it I time you finish? Hopefully! I

think so. It is a lot more than getting a degree at the end of it.

It has helps develop me as a person as well. The experience of being

here for three years has helped. I have other skills as well as a

degree. We have the chance to go on a placement, career advisers and

focus on what we want to focus on. In the 30th, you have the option of

work experience, so over summer you can work within the industry see

you get a better idea about the industry you want to go into.

keen to have a nose around the campus and to find out more about

student life. This is the other accommodation for a sock it is

called student village. There are six blocks in each. How demands to

pay for living costs? You have got the maintenance loan. That helps

pay for some of it, but a lot of students get part-time jobs as well.

It is all about working within your budget and budgeting well and still

having a good time. It is not supposed to be a breeze. Seeing it

all has made it feel more real. It feels a lot more achievable to be

able to come here. It seems like a lot of fun, so I would look forward

to that. The main thing for me now is to find out whether the cause is

worth the money I will be paying for it. Behind these a fantastic

experience our media production last... For Helen Kennedy, deputy

head of the media department, tells me I can stay practical skills in

weather, photography and video which can lead to exciting

opportunities. You think it makes it worth all of the money we will

have to pay for it? I think it is a tough moments for you. Sweet

passionately believe in the value of what we do have and we think

that people who have the experience of coming on our courses go into

the world a better place. Perhaps they do not get the best jobs

straightaway, but in five years' time, they are doing exciting

things. It is having to take an extraordinary long view, which is

hard when you are thinking about him all this money. You have to

anticipate that it might be 10 years before you have capitalised

on way you want to be. That is what I am thinking about. At the end of

pain that money, will I be able to get a job which will pay of the

massive loan I have? It is a risk. Yes. We are very aware of it. There

is no-one in the higher education sector which -- he was not aware of

how hard a sell it is now have to kiss from a range of backgrounds.

In every aspect of what we're doing, we are trying to shake your as the

best possible person that can be made. You're going to have the best

possible set of opportunities down the line. If that is society hear!

I get a really positive vying for this university, they do I want to

borrow so much money? I still do not know what to do. Is it really

worth �30,000 of debt to go to university at? I cannot decide, so

I am going to take a gap year to try to figure out what I want to do.

In that time, I can build up some money for fees if I want to go to

university, or maybe I will become the next it entrepreneur.

How will the new system work! --? Money expert Alvin Hall will be

doing the maths. Young, confuse and afraid. This is

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

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

beat the horror movie that we have been led to believe? Whether your

hat -- think that the behind in fees is there, it is happening.

Young people need to know the facts. Next year, English universities

will charge up to �9,000 a year, with living costs on top. Graduates

can face debts of up to �50,000. 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 numbers will shock them. I think that ailing

interest over such a long time is a number that most people do not

think about. Let's imagine that you graduate from university with

�50,000 of debt. You get a high- paying job. How much of that money

do you have to pay back? A I'm not sure, but all of it? All of it and

more! Bow, interest? For interest! 70 than a -- �75,000. Is that just

for one person team at that is just for one person. Is that just for

the average degree? Yes. But what if their careers do not go

as planned? What are they never came more than �21,000 a year? The

amount you have to pay back his... 0. What is going on? Basically, the

repayment of the loan works like taxes. The more you earn, the more

you pay back. If you never owned never visit -- he earned above a

certain amount, you never pay back a penny. The new Independent

Taskforce on Student Finance is led by Martin Lewis. The biggest

confusion out there is that people confuse the price-tag with the

actual cost. This is a different type of system. Many people will

not come close to repay in full what they borrow. Some will not pay

anything at all. The bewildering fact that we are putting of people

going to university is because we are looking at a price tag, not the

cost. Most graduates will face large debt. Is there any way of

avoiding fees? Yes! You can study abroad. At the recent Student World

Fair in London, teenagers discovered how much they can say.

Everyone would rather going to university if it would be �8,000

are cheaper. If the fee is a cheaper, that is more attractive.

In fact, dozens of universities across unit -- Europe offer courses

taught in English. These differ from country to country, but in

Scandinavia, and tuition is free. If in Denmark, we have no tuition

fees. According to EU rules, we have to treat East citizens alike.

Harriet Moore has already taken the plunge. She is off back to

university in Slovakia. I'm trying to save money, so hand-luggage it

is! She saves a fortune on living costs, at spending just �100 a

month. I caught up with her via Web cams. What advice would you give to

someone considering doing what you have done? If you are considering

it, you should go for it. It is worth doing. It you have to be

brave, but it is great. I have Time is up! I want my money!

studying overseas may be one way to avoid debt. But there are down

sides. If you study abroad, the Government here will not give you a

loan. Only some of the courses are taught in English, and some

employers might not recognise foreign degrees. You need to do

your homework. Another way of beating the fees is to get someone

else to pay. But you? London pint - - the London's financial heartland

is a good place to look. Believe it or not, these youngsters are all

freshers. They are being sponsored by KPMG, an accountancy giant.

for the entire package was a degree. The tuition fees were paid and you

were offered a job at the end. You're helps to become a qualified,

chartered accountant. That sounds too good to be true. Did she expect

a catch? There is no catch. As with everything in life, you have to

work hard. That is the only catch. And the man who runs the programme

tells me KPMG does not offer the stereotypical student experience.

This is an extremely intensive programme. They have got to work

for us, study for their degree and to obtain their chartered

accountant qualification in six years. That requires hard work.

That is all we ask of the students to join us. Then there are

bursaries. Students from low-income families can get money from various

sources, so it is worth trawling the wet. Is there another way of

avoiding the debt? Well, you can 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. 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.

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

debts of tens of thousands of dollars. It was daunting but if you

know the facts, student debt doesn't have to be scary. I

You can see all the results of the inside out poll on A-level students

on our website. The address is on Our final story tonight is about an

ambitious project to restore a canal through the Cotswolds. The

waterway will run from Saul on the River Sever to Lechlade on the

Thames. It will provide a link between England's two longest

rivers. But not everyone is happy These boats are preparing for a

journey from here at Saul to Lechlade on the River Thames. It

should be a leisurely cruise of 36 miles along the Cotswold canals

which link the two places. But there's a problem.

It's very simple: this whole business of canals is really about

getting from A to B in a boat. Or in this case from Saul about a

quarter mile back there, to that bridge. We're never going to get

But that low bridge is only the first obstacle blocking the

Cotswold canals. When they opened in 1789, they revolutionised

transport for Stroud's mill industry by linking the Severn with

the Thames. But inevitably, the canals fell victim to the success

of the railways and were abandoned. In fact the last time a boat

carrying cargo made the journey along the Cotswold canals from here

to Lechlade was in 1911 - 100 years ago.

Back then, that journey took about three days: now, whichever way you

go, it'll take considerably longer. We're going to take three weeks on

that cruise, it's a huge difference, and we're highlighting obviously to

raise money and highlighting the fact the canal is being restored.

It will open out a nice new cruising ring so people instead of

having to go on a very dangerous route down to Bristol. They'll be

able to go from here all the way to London Tower Bridge on our boats.

I'll be catching up with the boats later, but in the meantime, I want

to find out a bit more about the restoration project.

For more than 30 years, the Stroud water canal has been stood

forgotten. Like an ageing film star, its beauty and appeal could not

withstand the ravages of public neglect. But there's always the

hope of a comeback, and for the Stroud water canal that time is

That was nearly 40 years ago: today there are 6,000 members of the

Cotswold canals trust and every week, about 200 volunteers put in

This is a stretch of canal where the council are putting in money.

But you are still having to rely on volunteers. Does that ultimately

make the task of doing it that much harder? No, we haven't got the

money to do it all with paid contractors so right from the

beginning the intention was to use volunteers, as many volunteers

involved as possible. The use of volunteers attracts match-funding

from our major funder, the Heritage Lottery Fund, so generally it's a

win-win situation in that it's giving people from the local

community to do some volunteering and to take ownership of their own

What makes you volunteer? Well, I've lived round here for 50 years

and in another 20 years I'd like to see it all finished. That would be

a good goal I'm looking for work so this is a valuable thing to do for

one's own personal self-esteem. looking for work so this is a

valuable thing to do for one's own self-esteem. What have you pulled

out today? Any supermarket trollies? No, funnily enough, no

supermarket trollies but plenty of plastic bags. Hate to tell you

though, I did see a toilet seat in the canal a little bit down there.

How does a toilet seat get there? have no idea. I think someone was

using it as a Frisbee or something like that.

Without the volunteers, this just wouldn't happen. This is a

community project, it's not just about people on narrowboats, it's

about the entire community, it's about all walks of life all sorts

of people. It doesn't matter who they are, they're welcome on the

canal, we're here to build not just a towpath, not just an canal, but

an environment. Is this 'big society' in action? Absolutely.

Restoration's well under way along the Stroud Valley. That section's

going to cost about �25 million and should be completed in about three

years. The idea is that in the future,

boats will be able to cruise through places like Ebley here,

where the canal's been brought back to its former glory. But it's not

all plain sailing: some sections of the canal beyond Stroud lie on

private property and it'll take a lot of work, and some persuasion,

to restore the waterway. Just behind you here is the site of the

old canal. This is what they're proposing to dredge and reuse again.

It sounds like a good idea, is it a good idea to you? No, absolute

bloody rubbish and anybody with a little bit of sense would soon come

to that conclusion. This is the line of the Thames Severn canal,

just over there about 75 yards away is the River Thames so why do you

want a waterway here and a waterway there? It means cutting my farm in

half, making my farming operation more difficult. The money side of

it is horrendous, and all the district councils who were queuing

up to support the restoration before apart from Stroud are now

worrying about where they've got the money so I really think there

are better things to do. I wish all the keen nice people who're trying

to restore the canal would do these other better things.

Stroud district council is the lead partner in the restoration project:

can it justify this huge spend? So what do you say to people who

say you could have spent the money on something else? You can always

spend money on something else, but this is part of our heritage and

our past. I also think we're building something for the future.

We felt this would be good for Stroud, for Stroud town and Stroud

district, it would attract an awful lot more people. There's something

in the leisure industry, but also along this corridor we would like

to see regeneration of both the industrial side and, light

engineering, the sort of stuff you see in these areas, along with some

new residential waterside living. People are naturally attracted to

water, whether it's sea, canals, rivers or whatever. But the cost is

just one aspect which troubles some of the people affected by the

restoration. Another disused section of the

canal runs through this garden in Frampton Mansell, just east of

Stroud. The water levels are very, very low in the summer which is

when people want to have their leisure pursuits. In the winter, we

get too much water and we're very grateful to the empty canal because

it's a very good flood defence. But keeping water in the canal was

always a huge challenge, even in its heyday. I've come to the two

and a quarter mile-long Sapperton tunnel, at the highest point along

the route, to find out how they're going manage.

We're standing on a quagmire at the moment, but I suppose in canal

terms this is about as dry as it gets. How on earth do you go about

getting water back into this thing? Yes, this is the eight-mile long

summit pound and it supplies the whole canal. Water will have to be

pumped into the canal either from reservoirs that collect water in

the winter or from lower down the canal where water availability is

less of a problem. But in addition to that, there is the potential for

the canal to be used for transferring bulk water supplies

from the Severn area across to the Thames area to help relieve the

shortages in the southeast. If that was to come off, then the amount of

water needed for the boat traffic would be almost inconsequential

compared with that which would be At the far end of the canal, here

at Lechlade, yet more volunteers are busy restoring one of the 56

locks. And it's the place where the canal finally meets the River

Thames. So 36 miles back that way along the

canal is where we started in Saul And it's the final destination for

the narrowboats after their epic journeys 'the long way round'.

Which means just one thing. Hello! We are going to desperately try and

turn around. Everything about narrowboating is slow. I guess

that's its appeal, but these long- distance boaters will be hoping it

won't be another 100 years before these boats can take the shortcut

home along the restored Cotswold Well, that's where we must moor up

for the evening, but if you'd like to join in the conversation you can

Next week we're investigating a businessman from Bath who promised

his clients high adventure but left them angry and disappointed.

Plus, should this man be allowed to his ask his wife to assist in his

death? And is this the birthplace of the