Life's a lottery 3

Mark Baimbridge's arithmetic (Letters, February 20) cannot be faulted, but what a pity he endorses disingenuous political claims that top-up fees are the only source of additional funding for higher education.

There are alternatives. If only, for example, the government was persuaded that higher education had a role to play in the "war on terror", generous funding would immediately be found without imposing heavy debts on students or low salaries on staff.

Bob Hayes
Ashton-under-Lyne