Last year 724,000 students took out a loan Students borrowed over 1.8bn from the government-backed loans company last year. When students earn more than 18,192 Loans are cancelled When the borrower dies If the borrower receives disability benefit and is unfit for work After 25 years or when borrower reaches 50 The scale of debt has become a major concern for student unions, with campaigns highlighting debt problems among students.
Grants are only available for some limited allowances, such as single-parent or disabled students.
The amount owed by each student is adjusted annually in line with inflation. Borrowers are expected to repay their loans from the April after completing their course, unless their income is still below this repayments threshold. The relatively high number of people who defer payments might be explained by a slower growth in graduate salaries.