You've been offered an interview for your dream job. It's a long way away and getting there is going to be expensive, but the company won't reimburse your travelling expenses. So, is it worth the risk?

This was one graduate's recent dilemma (see panel), and though his case was extreme, it does illustrate a problem that may be becoming more common.

"This is something I have noticed in the past two or three years," says Catherine Gregory, a careers adviser at Bradford University.

"It was always the norm for employers to pay travel costs, but we are definitely beginning to have students telling us that they have been refused these expenses - and with a walk-on train ticket to London costing more than £100 it is making them question whether it is worth going."

Although few other universities are reporting changes in employer practice in this area, there are two factors which suggest employers are less willing to stump up the cash.

First, as higher education continues to expand, employers with no previous experience of recruiting graduates are entering the market.

Unlike established milk round companies, which tend to be quite generous, companies new to the graduate market might not be up to speed with the systems and finances that recruiting graduates requires.

Secondly, there is the effect of the internet. Employers who put vacancies on their websites can potentially receive applications from anywhere in the world, and it is simply impractical if not impossible for them to meet the costs.

Even jobs which are only advertised in the local media can find their way onto the web, so exposing employers to a far wider pool of applicants than they might be prepared for.

So, what can students do when they find themselves in the situation where they have been invited to interview but can't afford the cost? Careers advisers at far-flung universities who have experience of this problem suggest the following:

Always establish what the employer's position on interview expenses is. If no mention is made of them, then you should ring and find out.

Make sure you know whether it is a preliminary or a final interview. Often employers will only pay for final interviews.

Remember, if you refuse a job you might not get your expenses reimbursed.

If you know you can't afford the cost of the trip to a first interview, ask the employer why you can't do it over the telephone. What have you got to lose?

If you're still stuck, ask your careers service to intercede with the employer for you.

Ask yourself -do you really want to work for a company that treats its potential employees like this?