This year things are different. A sizeable number of young adults who would have merrily skipped on to University from sixth form without a second thought, now have to think very carefully indeed about whether or not it's worth it.

Despite the riots in protest to the trebling of tution fees, the increase will still go ahead for the 2012 intake and beyond. For most, this will result in debts of up to £27,000 for tuition fees alone, and as much as £50,000 when maintenance loans for living costs are factored in.

It's hard to believe that in just 15 years, tuition fees have risen from absolutely nothing to as much as £9,000 a year. The table below just how quickly things have changed for English students.

 

Year	Maximum Tuition fees
1960s	12% of people went to University Means tested annual grant of up to £340 Worth around £5,400 today
1970s	One in seven went to University Means tested annual grant of up to £380 Worth around £1,600 today
1980s	Grant increased from £380 to £1,430 in 1980, worth around £5,000
1989	One in five went to University Mortgage-style student loans introduced to compensate for lack of increases to grants
1997	Grant of £1,710 (worth around £2,553) scrapped
1998-99	Tuition fees introduced £1,000 Maintenance grants scrapped
1999-2001	£1,025
2000-01*	£1,050
2001-02	£1,075
2002-03	£1,100
2003-04	£1,125
2004-05	£1,150
2005-06	£1,175
2006-07	£3,000 new fee regime entrants Maintenance grants re-introduced £1,200 old fee regime
2007-08	£3,070 new entrants and continuing students on new fee regime £1,225 old fee regime
2008-09	£3,145 new entrants and continuing students on new fee regime £1,255 old fee regime
2009-10	£3,255 new entrants and continuing students on new fee regime £1,285 old fee regime
2010-11	£3,290 new entrants and continuing students on new fee regime £1,310 old fee regime
2011-12	£3,375 new entrants and continuing students on new fee regime
2012-13	£9,000 new entrants £3,465 students enrolled pre-2012

 *Tuition fees abolished in Scotland