Accountancy - Should I go to uni or do an apprenticeship?

Ok so I'm going into Y11 in September (probably way too early to be thinking about this I know) but I love to plan my future and think about what I want to do.. Also, I've been talking to my parents about uni and I can tell they're really apprehensive because they don't want me to get into piles of debt but definitely can't afford to pay it for me...

I know that I want a job in accounting/finance but I'm not very sure what route is best to achieve this since there seem to be so many ways in.. I have done some research, but I always end up with the same pros and cons e.g. apprenticeships = money, experience, no debt, etc and uni = huge debt, sometimes less employable, no work experience etc. One of the places I was interested in for uni is Newcastle https://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/nn14/#courseoverview as they seem to have a great program but then I have the whole problem of debt.. :frown:

My only option for education from 16-18 is sixth form, so I will be doing my A levels (hopefully Economics, Maths, Further Maths and maybe Physics or Chemistry) which means that I am open for either option after turning 18...

Also, if I did an apprenticeship at an accountancy firm it would most likely be in a larger city and the closest two are both about an hours drive away.. which would mean a lot of commuting.. I don't think this would be much of an issue but I would like to move out ASAP (a benefit of uni) so I was wondering how easy it would be to live on an apprentices salary?

Thank you in advance :biggrin: