University fee changes may deter poor students from studying medicine

Proposed changes to university fees in England may deter students from low income families from studying medicine. The Higher Education Bill, presented to parliament last week, will enable different universities to charge variable “top up” tuition fees for degree courses. Different fees can also be charged for different courses. Currently most students pay an upfront fee of £1125 ($2080; €1630) a year. About 30% of students from the poorest families are exempt. However, the fee barely covers the real cost of tuition. From 2006 universities will be able to charge up to …