Toby Whelton: University Costs Shifted Almost Entirely Onto Students

Students in England face a 'ticking timebomb' of debt and higher tax rates, with the cost of higher education now falling 'overwhelmingly on the individual', according to new analysis. The report by the Intergenerational Foundation thinktank warns that hundreds of thousands of sixth formers receiving their A-level results on Thursday will face more extreme financial penalties than previous graduates. Toby Whelton, author of the analysis, said the cost of paying for university has been shifted almost entirely onto current students.

The latest student loan package, known as plan 5 (which began in August 2023), means young graduates will struggle to save for house deposits or pension contributions, delaying key milestones. 'The burden of student loans has never been higher. By stealth and with minimal democratic scrutiny, successive governments have piled costs on to young graduates in the hope that nobody would notice, said Whelton.

'Plan 5 in particular has received far too little attention. It is a ticking timebomb, set to detonate as today's students enter the workforce and confront repayment terms harsher than those faced by previous cohorts.