FINANCIAL pressure could be forcing more students to attend local universities -- or ditch education altogether, a college principal has claimed.

Michael Finley, of St Mary's College, Blackburn, was speaking at the school's annual prizegiving and music event last night.

He told pupils, ex-pupils, parents and teachers: "It is interesting to note that increasing numbers of students are attending local universities, which may reflect the anxieties regarding the financial cost of taking a degree.

"More worrying, is the feeling among some students that they cannot afford to go to university and are reluctant to take out loans to subsidise their education."

However, he pointed out that at St Mary's last year 265 pupils went to universities around the country including four who went to Cambridge.

He added that St Mary's began its year with a record number of students aged 16 to 19 - 1,043 compared to 960 last year.

And he said the growth by the college had been achieved despite constraints placed on colleges in further education sector in the last decade.

Due to the new surge in students coming to St Mary's College, a piece of land has been purchased for a major building programme for new classrooms, which has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Mr Finley added he hoped that by refurbishing and extending the college it would be in equal competition with other colleges. "It is our intention, by means of new buildings and refurbishment of the existing estate to provide accommodation which equals that of better funded institutions in the locality."

Mr Finley also mentioned excellent results achieved by pupils last year, such as BTEC students recording a 100 per cent pass rate and Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education students achieving a 98 per cent pass rate.

He pointed out: "Many of these students enter these courses with modest performances at GCSE and they are to be congratulated on attainments that often exceeded expectations."