WITH budget cuts set to be revealed within the next few weeks, education is set to be hit hard.

Less places, possible £7,000 tuition fee's and UCAS points rising to an all time high, is there any wonder the younger generation is voting against universities?

The new coalition government has tampered a bit too much with higher education, what with their plans on saving money to rescue them from the “shambles” labour left them in, it wont be too long until higher education is only available for the elite members of society.

In other words, the younger generation are now paying the price for the pointless wars and ridiculous MP expenses.

Universities are set to split in to a two-tier hierarchy; a place for the elite (or those that can afford it) and a place for everybody else (those that have hard working parents), if plans go ahead.

Proposed plans of doubling tuition fee's to breach the £7,000 mark are a serious concern for both students and parents.

And the bad news continues as we now face market interest on student loans instead of the low interest loans they stand at now.

And this is just the start of their save the economy plan, with cutting child benefits on the table as well, how can they expect students to afford their price for an education.

There has been a real crack down on higher education, last year saw thousands of students, who were offered a place at their chosen university, rejected without reason.

In the near future, we could see a substantial lack of professionals such as doctors, teachers and lawyers.

Personally, I haven't seen a improvement since the election and can see the country is digging a hole too deep. The cut backs should be made gradually instead of the governments approach of save as much money all at once.

Locally, this has made a big impact. The College of West Anglia had a record amount of applications in many courses including NVQ courses and Degree courses.

Coincidence? I think not.

Many of the younger generation are now under an enormous amount of pressure to succeed at A-levels and secure a place at university despite the entry tariffs ranging from 240-380 (that would be anything from BBC- A*AA at A-level)

As an A-level student, I know the pressure on some students who are applying to universities like Oxford and Cambridge for English and Mathematics degrees. The amount of work required to get the grades for those courses is ridiculous.

We are commonly criticised as rebels, causing havoc, as teenagers do but that is not the case for those students, constantly working to succeed, giving up their social lives.

But what about those that can't get the grades? Many students have gone straight into work after GCSE's and are skipping A-levels altogether, linking to the unemployment crisis last year.

Nationally, we have seen a rise in apprenticeship applications, opting for practical experience in plumbing, carpentry and electronics, jobs which are always in demand world wide.

Despite the “best of friends” appearance, Nick Clegg has gone against the Conservative proposition, signing pledges opposing the potential fee rises.

But is that enough? He may be the deputy prime minister but will only get crushed by the Tory train if he was to stand up to them.

Personally, I think the government is cutting way too much, way too fast. If they would like to save money, why not take a couple of thousand off their pay check and expense accounts, we would be out of debt in no time.

If a little girl can offer her £1 tooth fairy money to help with the deficit, surely the government can do without Mayfair flats and gardeners.