The case for reform
The student finance system is broken
Graduates are paying for a system that was sold as a loan but often behaves like an extra tax on work, ambition and getting ahead.
What went wrong?
A whole generation of graduates is being charged far more than they borrowed. For many middle-earning graduates, monthly deductions do not even cover monthly interest, so the balance keeps growing.
Plan 2 graduates are among the worst affected. This is the student finance regime for people who started university in England or Wales between 2012 and 2023. Many will make repayments for thirty years and still never clear the balance.
This is not how a normal loan works
For many graduates, it operates more like an extra tax on aspiration: 9% of earnings above the repayment threshold, on top of income tax and National Insurance.
See how this works in practice →Why this matters
The problem is not just personal unfairness. It affects work incentives, risk-taking, home ownership and growth.
What should change?
A fairer system should be built around clear principles
Work like a loan, so that a graduate keeping up their repayments sees the balance fall rather than climb
Reward work, so that middle earners are not left worse off the harder they try
Share the cost of higher education fairly
Keep faith with the terms people signed up to
Give the next generation something better than a longer version of the same problem
If you think the system needs reform, add your name.
Sign the petition for fair fees and a fair future.