The cost of a 3-year degree course 33,000 pounds

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) Students going to university this year can expect to pay more than 33,000 pounds (,310) for a three-year degree course and will rack up big debts to help pay the bills, a survey said today.

The NatWest study said tuition fees of 3,000 pounds a year had helped push the figure up from 28,600 pounds last year.

Graduates will leave university with average debts of 13,252 pounds, up 5 per cent or 600 pounds from last year.

Nine out of 10 new students expect to take a part-time job to pay their way and nearly three-quarters admit that money will be a bigger worry than their studies.

Sixth-form pupils planning to go to university say they are aware of the growing financial pressures and they are prepared to spend far more on books, going out and food.

''New students are clearly much more clued up about the financial realities of university than in previous years,'' said Mark Worthington, Head of NatWest Student and Graduate Banking.

Parents will help foot the bill. Nearly a third will give their children extra money throughout the term, while a fifth will offer help when it is needed.

Rent is the biggest weekly outgoing at an average of 69 pounds, followed by food (17 pounds) and alcohol (15 pounds).

NatWest commissioned Virtual Surveys to poll more than 3,000 students and sixth-form pupils between May and June.

REUTERS MS ND1408