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England's graduates left with £15,000 more debt than students in competitor countries

28 April 2016

Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø has called on the government to urgently review England's student finance system, which leaves graduates with higher levels of debt than other major English-speaking countries.

The union was speaking in response to a new , 'Degrees of Debt', from the Sutton Trust which looks at student debt in eight major English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada and the USA. It shows that the average English student now graduates with at least £15,000 more debt than students in other major competitor countries, even those at for-profit institutions in the USA.

Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø said that soaring debts risk putting talented students off going to university in the UK, and echoed the report's concerns about the impact of rising debt on part-time and mature students, whose numbers have dropped in recent years.

Âé¶¹¹ÙÍø general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'It is deeply concerning that our student finance system leaves English graduates with significantly higher levels of debt than other large English-speaking countries. It is a system which weighs heaviest on the poorest students and which is clearly not working for part-time and mature students, whose numbers have dropped massively in recent years.

'The current debt levels risk putting too many talented students off higher education; we need the government to urgently review the way that students are funded, and put in place a secure, sustainable system which works for everyone, regardless of their circumstances.'

Last updated: 28 April 2016

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