A teenager's dreams of studying at university in England could become a reality after an announcement that tuition fees will be severely cut.

Lisa Metschnabel, 17, from Southampton, feared the current cost of nearly $19,000 a year would have made it extremely difficult for her to study for a psychology degree in the UK.

Her single mother Philippa Metschnabel said the only way she could have afforded to send Lisa to England would have been if she got lucky with a loan, scholarship or help from the Bermudian Government.

However, this week the UK Government stated annual fees for people from British Overseas Territories, including Bermuda, would be severely reduced to about $5,700 from the next academic year.

Now Mrs. Metschnabel says the courses are much more likely to be within her financial budget.

Lisa says she is desperate to study in England because its universities have a first class reputation in psychology, which could set her on the road to a high-flying career.

The pair are concerned the lower fees could make Bermudian students a less attractive option to English universities, but remain hopeful Lisa, who attends Saltus Grammar School, will win a place.

The teenager has already visited England to check out a number of universities in areas including Surrey, Sussex and Cardiff.

Each year about five Saltus students fly to England to study at university or college. Staff believe the number will grow now that fees have been reduced.

Mrs. Metschnabel said: "England would be an ideal place for Lisa to learn psychology because it has such a good reputation.

"But as a single parent, I was looking at very high tuition fees on top of the air fares, cost of living and all the rest of it.

"Unless we could get a scholarship, big loan or help from the Bermudian Government, I don't know what I would have done. This will be very helpful.

"My main concern with the whole thing is that I assume at the moment English universities prefer to have a quota of international students because they pay more.

"This means they can be a lot more flexible on the requirements to get into the universities.

"Because we are now on a par with the UK's tuition fees, so we may lose some of that flexibility.

"I would hope they would not raise the bar too high for international students." Lisa said: "In England, they have got very good psychology schools which are well recognised. I would love to study there because I have family there and it's a beautiful place.

"It's great news that the tuition fees have been reduced.

"The flip side is that it may make it more difficult for me to compete academically. It means I may have to work harder to get better grades."

Bill Rammell, the UK Minister for Higher Education, announced the tuition fees cut on Tuesday, at an Overseas Territories Consultative Council meeting in London, which is being attended by Premier Ewart Brown and Governor Sir John Vereker.

It is part of a drive to encourage people from British Overseas Territories to study in England.

Mr. Rammell said students from all such territories would be charged home rate fees for further education and undergraduate degree courses in England from September 2007.

Teachers in Bermuda have welcomed the move, saying it would give more students a chance at further education.

Roy Napier, Head of School at Bermuda High School, said he believed reduced tuition fees would not make universities consider Bermudian students to be a less attractive option.

He said individual universities took on so few students from Bermuda that the loss of tuition fees would not seriously affect them.