A fifth of students are still dropping out of university despite £800m spent tackling the problem.

The BBC reports 22 percent of students in England and Wales are dropping out of courses - the same level as in 2002.

The public accounts committee is reported as stating a growing number of students were from poorer backgrounds and were less likely to complete their course, but more had to be done to help them with £800 million spent on the issue.

Common reasons for quitting university includes physical or mental health problems, dissatisfaction with a course and financial problems. Finding higher education is unsuitable for them and family pressure to quit are also reasons for students leaving.

The committee states around 28,000 full-time and 87,000 part-time students who started first degree courses in 2004-05 were no longer in higher education a year later.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh told the BBC more students were being recruited from backgrounds and schools where university was not previously thought to be an option, "but these are the very students who are more likely to leave early”.

He added: "Universities must get better at providing the kind of teaching and support services that students from under-represented groups need."

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