A student nurse struggling with debts claims he may have to abandon his studies at Oxford Brookes University.

Alex Holmes, 27, estimates he will be more than £5,000 in the red by the time he finishes his three-year course.

The mature student's concerns follow a survey by the Royal College of Nursing which claims that more than half of student nurses have considered leaving their courses because of money worries.

There are 676 nursing students at Oxford Brookes University School of Nursing in Headington.

Many of them are eventually recruited by hospitals in Oxford, which are suffering from severe staff shortages.

At the moment, those on degree courses can win funding from a means-tested bursary, worth up to £1,900, and are also eligible for student loans, which they have to pay back when they start earning.

Struggling: Student nurse Alex Holmes is considering abandoning his studies because of mounting debts

But the RCN said the money available is not enough to entice people into the low-paid profession.

Father-of-one Mr Holmes, of Cowley, says he has £210 a month from his bursary.

But the means-testing system does not take into account that he has to pay up to £600 in childcare fees every month.

He also has to pay monthly mortgage payments and finds himself £400 in debt every month.

The former accounts clerk says: "Nursing is something I've always wanted to do. I wanted to help other people and do something worthwhile.

"My starting salary will be around £14,500 and I may come out with debts of £10,000, so I won't have a lot of money.

My partner works as much as she can and is determined that I shouldn't give up because I am doing really well and enjoying the course.

"But there's only so far that kind of spirit goes, when you have a baby to care for and a mortgage to pay. I really might have to leave."

Second-year trainee nurse James Cooper, 25, is also facing large debts when he leaves Oxford Brookes University.

The 25-year-old has £2,400 to live on this year and is being forced to take out a student loan to survive.

He also spends his spare time working as a care assistant to boost his income by 48 a week, but still estimates he will have £8,000 debts by the time he starts working full-time.

Mr Cooper says: "I have to work full-time during the holidays to make ends meet and never really get any time off.

I also avoid buying important text books, which is difficult because I have to spend a lot of my time in the library.

"I think the Government is barmy. Ministers want to recruit £20,000 nurses, but where are they going to come from.

Who wants to become a nurse when you know you are never going to have any money?"