Letter: Undergraduate plea

Sir: As young people we are encouraged to study and go to university, but the Institute of Manpower Studies report ('Employers give little comfort to graduates', 14 July) is depressing.

Undergraduates have to contend with frozen grants and in the vacation period we have no income support or housing benefit. Not all of us are beer-swilling public nuisances with large overdrafts. But finding vacational work is difficult, if not impossible. How are we expected to survive? Student loans are not the answer.

For the duration of the general election, all the political parties seemed to forget about us, strange when we have a valid vote. Surely it would be more logical to put some money and effort into us, after all we are the country's future.

Yours faithfully,

K. J. THOMPSON

East Boldon, Tyne & Wear

15 July