Your shout: What young people think about ... higher education

Ilkay Timur, 18, Hackney - "Higher education is like a market - the more popular a degree and a university are, the more selective the entry requirements are. Those that judge solely on academic merit decline many students. I would like to remind young people that the rationale is not as personal as they think"

Niral Makadia, 18, Leicester - "For the year 2006-07 tuition fees increased to 3,000 per year. This, on top of accommodation and day-to-day living costs, can amount to 8,000 after just one year of university. It's not off-putting. It motivates people to make something out of university"

Natalie Hall, 17, Staffordshire - "It is too expensive and people are put off. It's daunting to have 30,000 of debt already ahead of you. Just because you have a degree doesn't mean you are guaranteed a high-flying job. Tuition fees should be given the same priority in terms of national spending as in Scotland"

- We want to hear from young people. Contact Dipika Ghose on 020 8267 4724, dipika.ghose@haymarket.com, Young People Now, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP.