British students bending under student debt loadBy Marie Heuclin / AFP, LONDONGina Tindale, 22, graduated from college ￡90,000 (US$119,113) in debt, a common experience across the UK, where young people saddled with huge debts are calling for a reform of the student loan system. The British parliament’s treasury committee has launched an inquiry into the student loan system, acknowledging the “intense dissatisfaction” among graduates. Hillier said there was a risk it was “placing the burden unfairly on younger people” — in what some critics have termed a “graduate tax,” arguing it unfairly burdens college graduates. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, young graduates are on average ￡53,000 in debt. The government led by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced a ￡1,000 maintenance grant starting in 2028 for students from low-income households.

Source: Taipei Times March 14, 2026 16:09 UTC