A former White House aide who will be the next chancellor of Durham University said current university fees may have discouraged her from pursuing a degree.
Fiona Hill said she would have “definitely reconsidered” higher education if it “had to take out massive loans”.
The miner’s daughter, 57, said the education system needed to be “rethought” to make it more accessible to more people.
The government said its policies have helped attract more underprivileged students to university.
dr Hill, who has worked for George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, will assume her university role next year.
Speaking to BBC Newscast, Dr. Hill, a specialist in Russian and European geopolitics, said the cost of higher education had been a personal interest “all her life.”
“I wouldn’t have had any of the opportunities I’ve had, including learning Russian, if it weren’t for the accessibility of education,” said Dr. Hill by Bishop Auckland.
“I was paid entirely by County Durham – the local board of education took care of all my university education in the 1980s.
“I’m extremely grateful for that.”
dr Hill said education is not an “individual benefit” but a “massive societal benefit.”
“We need to invest in the education and training of the population,” she added.
She said Britain’s tuition repayment system is “slightly better” than that of the United States, but changes are needed.
dr Hill said the prohibitive current cost of higher education and the high demand for more people in jobs like nursing required a “rethinking of how we structure the fees and loans and help people find how they’re repaid.”
She became a US citizen in 2002 and was a member of the US National Intelligence Council from 2006 to 2009 and a member of the US National Security Council under President Trump.
In response to the interview with Dr. Hill, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education said that “more 18-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are entering university than ever before” as the government has increased maximum student loans and grants.
“Our investment in the future capabilities of this country includes not only the taxpayer-supported college finance system and tuition freezes, but also apprenticeships that allow students to earn while they learn,” she added.
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