Student loans are essentially deferred taxation. So being “saddled with debt” isn’t actually the prohibiting factor to people on lower incomes going into HE that you claim.

I dislike tuition fees – who actually asks for them – but as someone on the full maintenance grant I do feel qualified to make some comment about the argument that tuition fees create an exclusive disincentive to poorer students.

They don’t. They create a disincentive towards every student. Every student, regardless of whether they’re high, low or middle income will either be faced with more up-front costs, or more taxation later on. Middle earners will pay back more in tax than lower earners later on, because they’ll be earning more. So though tuition fees undeniably leave an unpleasant taste in one’s mouth and are a negative consideration when looking at Higher Education, they are not the barrier to social mobility you seem to suggest they are.

Dave