YOUNG people have a “real fear” of what the trebling of university tuition fees will mean for their futures, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Higher Education said yesterday.

Under changes agreed by the coalition Government last year, universities will be able to charge tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year from next year.

The Government said the changes would put university finances on a sustainable footing and were a progressive reform.

However, after meeting students at New College Durham yesterday, Labour’s Gareth Thomas said: “The biggest thing I will take away is the appetite of young people to go to university and to study at colleges like this. We heard the importance of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for many and a real fear of what the trebling of tuition fees would mean for them.

“Nevertheless, there is still a lot of optimism for the future and a clear interest in what Labour will advocate at the next election.”

Labour is reviewing all of its policies.

Mr Thomas, the MP for Harrow, in Greater London, visited the college with Roberta Blackman-Woods, the MP for Durham City.

He looked round the college, spent 30 minutes talking to students and met the principal and chief executive, John Widdowson, who became a CBE for services to education in December.

Dr Blackman-Woods said it was a good opportunity to hear from students who will be affected by the Government’s decision to scrap the EMA and raise tuition fees.

She said: “This is something many students in Durham are very concerned about.”