Financial stress felt like 'hell on earth'

Among the first group of students to have to pay tuition fees was Natasha Ethrington.

Her financial troubles were enough to make her clinically depressed - and almost suicidal.

The 24-year-old said: "It was like hell on earth. It's hard to believe the amount of financial stress you have to deal with."

Studying French and linguistics at Oxford, she struggled to make it through four years on £15,000 in student loans and overdrafts.

"You are trying to balance it all. But it all just gets on top of you.

"My depression got very bad, I was very close to feeling suicidal.

"I feel very bitter towards the system," she said.