The University of Leeds said Mr Connell was a former student who completed a physics programme in 2004, graduating with a diploma in higher education.

BBC: Helicopter involved in incident

When most new jobs in America require more than a high school diploma, higher education -- whether at a four-year college, at a two-year program -- it can't be a luxury.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Speaks on Student Loan Interest Rates in Colorado | The White House

With the average earnings of college graduates at a level that is twice as high as that of workers with only a high school diploma, higher education is now the clearest pathway into the middle class.

WHITEHOUSE: Home ? Higher Education

The chances of becoming pregnant were higher among women younger than 20, foreign-born Hispanic women and women with less than a high school diploma.

CNN: Report: More women moving in before marriage

Employment is 3m higher for college graduates than in January of 2009, but 2m lower for those with only a high-school diploma.

ECONOMIST: Employment figures

According to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, by 2020 there will be very few opportunities for workers who only have a high school diploma or have dropped out of school, and the demand for college-educated workers will keep rising until then.

FORBES: Why Spring Break And Sports Cars Aren't Worth It