| The revelations from the Student Loans | | | | jail card when it introduced £3,000 tuition |
| Company come just as it was revealed that | | | | fees for universities. |
| British taxpayers are to now be expected to pay | | | | They were part of a package of measures |
| for free education for Scottish students, but not | | | | offered by Tony Blair to buy off more than 100 |
| for those elsewhere in the UK. | | | | rebel MPs. |
| However, the prospect of vast amounts of debt | | | | The introduction of annual tuition fees pushed the |
| has not deterred students from applying to | | | | total owed by current and former students in |
| universities. By March this year, a record 446,765 | | | | England and Wales to the Student Loans |
| potential students had applied. | | | | Company to £19 billion. This does not include |
| The average student beginning a course this | | | | other debts run up with banks, parents and |
| autumn will leave with a debt of around | | | | elsewhere. |
| £30,000, which most will still be paying off | | | | Students graduating last summer were saddled |
| well into their mid-30s. | | | | with an average total debt of just over |
| The National Union of Students claims that such | | | | £13,250 per head, according to a student |
| liability dissuades some poorer people from | | | | money survey while the National Union of |
| applying. | | | | Students estimates that those graduating in 2009 |
| Scottish students, and those from the European | | | | will owe an average of around £30,000. |
| Union outside the UK, will eventually pay nothing | | | | So how can students manage these impossible |
| for education north of the border as the Scottish | | | | debts? Once graduated, it is a good idea to start |
| Executive plans to scrap its £2,000 graduate | | | | work as soon as possible. Don't wait for the job |
| tax. | | | | you want or are degree qualified for, instead take |
| Anyone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland will | | | | a job as soon as you can to avoid running up |
| still have to pay £3,000 a year to study in | | | | further debt to pay for your necessities such as |
| England with Scottish students paying just | | | | rent and food. |
| £1,700 a year. | | | | Although the average graduate starting salary in |
| By 2009, Scottish students will not be charged to | | | | 2006 was £13,860 a year, it is probably the |
| graduate at all and from 2011, loans are expected | | | | first time that you will have had a decent regular |
| to end as grants are to be reintroduced. | | | | income, but at the same time you may have had |
| The news comes as the Office for Fair Access | | | | to move to a new area for your new job and |
| says the system of student bursaries needs to | | | | have additional travel and living costs. |
| be overhauled. | | | | By working out how much money is coming in |
| The bursaries are supposed to help disadvantaged | | | | and how much is going out, you'll know how much |
| youngsters go to university, but campaigners | | | | is left over to put towards repaying your debts, |
| argue that bursaries are not working and the | | | | no matter how little the amount may seem, it is |
| money could be better spent on outreach and | | | | worth starting to pay those debts as soon as |
| summer schools. | | | | possible. Do not enter into any other debt or loans |
| The system, designed with poorer students in | | | | until you have whittled your existing debts down |
| mind, was part of the Government's get out of | | | | into manageable payments. |