Students charged £3,000 a year

A North university will be charging fees of £3,000 a year for all of its courses - but says it will be offering £14m to students to make sure young people in the region are not put off higher education.

Sunderland University is following most other universities in charging the full tuition fee for all courses when new arrangements come into force next September.

But it will also be offering scholarships to all full-time undergraduate students worth at least £1,000 over three years.

Sunderland is hoping that its package of bursaries will ensure that young people are not put off university by the increased tuition fees coming into force in 2006.

Sunderland is offering £500 a year for students coming from households with income less than £33,000.