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From BBC England today:
University applicants in England will be given clearer information about student loans before they take them out, the government has said.
Ministers said they would spell out that governments can change repayment rules and that different career choices can affect how much borrowers repay.
They agreed to some but not all of the recommendations made by MPs after an inquiry into student loans, and did not say whether they would reverse a freeze to the repayment threshold for some graduates. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4vq7rw27qo
What’s so urgent there? Are they going to do something nice for students in England? Don’t be daft. This continues:
In the Guardian 10 August, the above and:
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. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/10/government-piling-debt-on-to-future-graduates-in-england-analysis-finds
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?
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I recall reading that years ago the Tories called in debt collectors against students who hadn’t been able to repay the huge student ‘debts’ they were forced to take on…in England.
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A maxim I learned whilst in Canada.
If it’s no Scottish, it’s crap!
Sound about right?
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Forgot to say,
Not anonymous, John Lawson.
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The Tories in 2010 cut Education funding £6Billion a year. £90Billion. The ConDems Clegg (Facebook millionaire) betrayed the students. They put up students fees in the South. Half of which will never be paid back. The student loan book was £87Billion. The sold it on to private companies to milk the students increasing interest rates to make more monies.
The Scottish Gov mitigated the cuts. Did not overcharge students, although more students stayed at home in Scotland to mitigate the cost. Labour in Scotland means tested loans on a sliding scale according to household income. Students of average household income could not get a full loan. So pupils with straight ‘A’ s could not go to university without family support. Sliding scale. £21,000 to £42,000.
Lower income households could get a grant + loan. More students of lower income could afford to go to university. Students of higher family income could not get a full loan and could not go without family support.
The SNP sorted it out, Now all student can get a full loan to go to university. £3,000+ more generous. Earning over a certain amount have to pay it back on a sliding scale, The more earning the higher the repayment. Slightly higher taxed but more earning potential. People with degrees usually earn more on average.
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Many thanks! “Scottish average loan less than half of WALES”? M
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