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Heading off to university means a lot more responsibility - living on your own, cooking your own meals, and, handling your finances.

But when money gets tight, financial experts are worried that students might be tempted to go down the wrong route to solve the problem.

Students are being bombarded with text messages, adverts on Facebook and TV, mobile phone apps and websites which all offer high interest short term loans, known in the business as payday loans.

Quick access to money - just a few clicks away.Ìý

Craig Thorne, vice president of Coleg Gwent’s student union, thought taking out a payday loan was the solution to his cash problems.

He said: “It was just a quick fix option, I was struggling to find money for Christmas so I decided to take out a loan and repay it when I had more money.�

Lucy Owen talks to Craig Thorne

But when it came to paying back his small loan Craig started to struggled. He missed early repayments and didn’t know how to deal with the debt he had built up.

He said, “I thought I was going to be able to pay it and if I could repay it for whatever reason I wasn't expecting the interest to be so hefty.�

For who works with people in debt in Newport this is a familiar story and she’s concerned that payday loans are so easy to obtain.

She said, “I’d say it’s the biggest thing we're seeing over the past couple of years.Ìý Most debt clients that come in for advice have got a payday loan that they’re struggling to repay.

“It’s very rare that you see someone that’s able to use them for what they’re designed - very basically filling a gap between a payday.

“The majority of clients using them can't pay them back.Ìý Just by the very nature of them the interest doubles and the default charges goes on which can result in bank charges as well.â€�

And universities across the country say they’re concerned. From Bangor to Swansea to UWIC in CardiffÌý there’s been a sharp rise in students taking out pay day loans over the last few years. Ìý

For Anne Reid, financial support officer for Aberystwyth University, it is a problem that has increased over the last two years and she says she’s now hearing from all kinds of students who’ve encountered problems with payday loan companies.

She said, “You have students from the poorer background who have the low household income perhaps who haven't been able to budget properly and you have the students from the higher income families who have again overspent and are too embarrassed to tell their parents they are in financial trouble.�

Students that have come to see her have borrowed anything between £75 to £1,000 and when they have struggled to pay back the debt, she has had to step in.

Anne says over the last year she has helped 30 students who have struggled with payday loans, half helped with advice, but for the other 15 she had to use the Welsh Government’s hardship fund to solve the problem.

Ann adds, “That’s not to say that there aren’t many more out there, there may well be those who perhaps are embarrassed to ask for help.�

Advisors like Sorcha are particularly concerned by the way payday loan companies offer top-up loans when students are already struggling with repayments.

She said, “That’s the biggest problem it’s people then having to take out one loan to repay another one and again that’s when the cycle of debt then begins.

Students struggling with payday loans should seek advice, from staff at their college/university or specialists like Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Sorcha has some tips for those who do get themselves in trouble:

1. Don’t be tempted to take out any more.
2.ÌýDon't ignore it
3. Get help &Ìýadvice from a free specialist money advice agency eg , and 4ÌýTake control of finances, work out a realistic household budget to stabilise spending
5. Consider alternatives if necessary eg localÌýcredit unions &