18/08/2009

Students Face Soaring Debts

Students enrolling in university this autumn will graduate with debts of up to £23,500, according to new research.

The Push Student Debt Survey of 2,024 students in years one to four of their course found undergraduates now owe on average more than £5,000 a year and debts are rising.

Undergraduates finishing the first year of study can expect to owe £21,200 by the time they graduate.

Students completing their third year of study owe £13,874.

Debt levels vary between regions and institutions with students in England owing considerably more than those in other parts of the UK.

Average debt per year of study in England is £5,271, £4,324 in Northern Ireland, £4,021 in Wales and £2,194 in Scotland.

Johnny Rich, editor of Push.co.uk, blamed the recession for partly fuelling rising student debt.

He said: "Finding part-time work has got harder and many students are facing real financial hardship and are worrying about what lies ahead. Even so, the advantages of having a degree still vastly outweigh the costs.

"These figures will give next year's review of student funding a real headache. They beg the question of whether we've now passed the point where students can be expected to stump up any more towards their education."

(GK/KMcA)

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