University challenge

THE Independent plans to highlight the changing way families are financing higher education by following three families through the experience of having a son or daughter at university.

Barclays Bank is providing pounds 1,000 worth of premium bonds for each of the three families - half for the parents and half for the student - as an incentive to take part.

Two or three times a year we will ask the student and the parents how they are managing on a tight budget. We will also ask the parents how they are coping with the added financial strain.

We will try to select a cross-section of students. The personal finance editor's decision is final.