Second-year undergraduate Simon Hill got in touch with the BBC News website to say the media's assumption that studying led to large debts was beginning to annoy him.

"If these students put more thinking into their careers and plans, they can easily end up with no debt," he said.

"Some people are talking about getting debts of £20,000 - £30,000, and they don't need to."

Simon planned ahead and thinks he has earned money

So how does he do it?

Simon appears to have spent a lot of time thinking about how he could avoid debt.

He lives at home in north west London and mainly cycles the 40-minute journey to Brunel University, where he is studying financial computing.

He also works as a lifeguard at a swimming pool in Ruislip. He estimates he has made several thousand pounds so far while studying.

"Tutors gave us guidelines for part-time work of up to no more than 16 hours a week," he said.

"I have about 10 hours a week of lectures.

"I fit all my work in - I'd rather be in that position than sitting around," he adds.

He does not feel he is missing out on experiences by living with his family, saying he has joined clubs and societies at Brunel and enjoys university life.

"Parents are there to support you, and for me it's easier to work at home."

But the most important factor in all this is setting himself up for the future and being in a position to buy a property.

"I know people who will have to move back in with their parents after their degree because they will need to save money.

"For me, that's the wrong way round."

You do not actually have to go to university to get a degree. Many colleges of further and higher education charge lower fees.

Jessica Barber dropped out of an English Literature course at Anglia Ruskin University because the costs of the course and commuting from her home were proving too expensive.

Now 22, Jessica left in November of her first year then enrolled at Havering College in Hornchurch, Essex, closer to her home.

Fees of £1,235 a year - roughly a third of most university courses - mean she is keeping down the costs.

However, she will still get into some debt by the end of the three-year course, partly because she had to pay fees for the first year at university which she did not complete.

She also has a one-year-old son and is now entering the third year of her BA in Youth and Community Work.

Studying at a college may not be for everyone - and many young people will want to experience university life.

But Jessica says that after having tried both, she feels more comfortable at college.

"I prefer the college environment," she says. "It's more informal.

"At university there are so many people, and it's very competitive - nobody wants to help one another.

"I've found the college offers a lot more support."

There are two principal ways to become involved with the Armed Forces at university: one involves joining them after graduating and the other comes without obligation.

The University Officer Training Corps (UOTC) allows selected students to join the Territorial Army as Officer Cadets - and take part in military exercises, expeditions and community projects.

The Army website says: "UOTC training instils the leadership and teamwork skills that employers are crying out for."

And students are paid up to £57 per day, according to length of service, and given Army kit.

There are 19 University Officer Training Corps across the UK which serve universities in their area.

Army Undergraduate Bursaries are awarded to approximately 250 students each year, who are paid £1,000 a year and then a further £3,000 on leaving Sandhurst.

Students are then committed to three years' service.

The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force run similar bursaries.

Stealing is obviously not to be recommended, but many students are familiar with writing "begging letters".

The website www.studentmoney.org is one of the most widely-recognised sources of bursaries and other forms of financial support for students.

Many of the charities offering grants may award them to students with a particular status or who meet particular criteria.

The Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS), part of the charity Family Action, provides an online information service on grants offered by hundreds of charitable trusts.

After the euphoria of the A-level results, financial worries loom

Students can find out online which charities they may be eligible to apply to for funds.

Family Action itself also provides two sources of funding.

It awards grants of around £200 - £300 a year to individual students who would otherwise have difficulty financing a course of study.

And it supports single parents who wish to study with larger sums of money through the Horizons fund.

Students must normally be studying at an institution affiliated to EGAS.

Its head of grants, Fiona MacGillivray, said there has been a surge in applications.

"We have closed our educational grants for the first time in 11 years because we have run out of funds.

"There are a lot of people out there trying to re-train," she said.

Students may also find their former schools will be generous in supporting alumni going on to university, particularly if the school is linked to a charitable trust.

Money-saving experts have become more prominent in the media in recent years.

The good news is you do not normally have to pay for their services, because they carry articles and tips on their websites.

But for concrete advice on the nitty gritty of financial products and if you are worried about debt, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service can help.

And students can talk to their university welfare officers.

www.cashquestions.com is a website run by financial journalists who will answer any questions submitted online.

Its website has a section on student finance and a list of Top 10 tips.

Founder Annie Shaw says budgeting is key.

"Students should really think about things and plan - and most of all, choose their bank account carefully, because if they get overdrawn the fees could make things worse.

"Students are being edged out of jobs now, and it's got much tougher.

"I think students are getting scared of the debt, and it's meaning more are opting to live at home or close to home," she adds.

She says even little things can make a difference to the overall budget and small savings should not be dismissed.

"If you're going on a night out, take £10 out of the cash machine, and then you're not going to get involved in a drinking contest, or buy rounds.

"You have to be disciplined. It's not mean, and everybody's in the same boat."

Source: BBC News; Wed. 30th Sept. 2009