Students: Debts

(asked on 16th June 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average university student debt for (1) tuition fees, (2) maintenance loans, and (3) tuition fees and maintenance loans combined, in each year since 2010.


Answered by
Baroness Smith of Malvern Portrait
Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 22nd July 2026

A student’s total loan balance will depend on the number and type of loans taken, the type and length of study, the repayment plan, and how long it has been since entering repayment, as interest accrues over time alongside any income‑contingent or voluntary repayments.

The average amounts paid to borrowers for 1) tuition fee loans, 2) maintenance loans and 3) combined loans since 2013/14 are attached in Annex 1.

The average loan balances by repayment cohort are attached in Annex 2. The amount owed by borrowers in each financial year depends on the year they entered repayment for their loans. These data are not split by loan type, however, in 2024/25, around 89% of students took out both maintenance and tuition fee loans.

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