University students will be repaying loans into their 50s, say researchers

Richard Adams reports on the new Sutton/IFS report for the Guardian.

The majority of undergraduates now at university will be paying off their student loans well into their 40s and 50s, with three-quarters of them unable to clear the debt before it is written off after 30 years, according to an analysis published on Thursday.

The report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Sutton Trust estimates that the average student will leave university more than £44,000 in debt.

A middle-earning graduate will still owe about £39,000 at today’s prices by the age of 40, and will still owe about £32,000 by 50.

“For many professionals, such as teachers, this will mean having to find up to £2,500 extra a year to service loans at a time when their children are still at school and family and mortgage costs are at their most pressing,” said Conor Ryan, the Sutton Trust’s director of research.

“We believe that the government needs to look again at fees, loans and teaching grants to get a fairer balance.”

Read the full article here.