In the Guardian today, the above and:
The government is piling mountains of debt and higher tax rates on young people heading to university, according to analysis into the “ticking timebomb” of costs faced by future students.
Hundreds of thousands of sixth formers will receive their A-level results on Thursday, with many expecting to continue on to higher education courses.
But Toby Whelton, author of the analysis for the Intergenerational Foundation, a thinktank, says those in England will face more extreme financial penalties than previous graduates.
Now Richard there, above, is ‘Education editor!’ I bet he’ll be thinking ‘Must compare this with Scotland and find out how they do it?
Well, you know…..no.
Oh well, here it is:
Latest comparable figures (financial year 2025-26 repayment cohort)
From SLC UK comparisons data:
- Scotland: ~£21,000
- England: £47,730
- Wales: £44,830
This means the average Scottish figure is roughly less than half of England’s and substantially below Wales’s.
Prior year for context (2024-25 repayment cohort)
- Scotland: £17,990–£18,050
- England: £53,000–£53,010
- Wales: £39,350–£39,470
The gap was even larger then (around £35,000 between Scotland and England).
Why’d the gap narrow with Scotland? Did we start charging fees? No, we let them borrow more for living costs?
Why do English students have to borrow so much more?
Undergraduate tuition is free for Scottish-domiciled students studying in Scotland but then you knew that and you’re not an ‘Education Editor’, are you?
Why didn’t the Guardian tell its readers this? Labour Party loyalty?
Discover more from Talking-up Scotland
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Talking-up Scotland 