Student loan debt for many graduates has become an overwhelming burden, with some individuals seeing their obligations increase despite making regular repayments. Helen Lambert, a 33-year-old NHS nurse, has experienced this firsthand. After borrowing £57,000 to attend university, her total debt has swelled to over £77,000, even though she has repaid more than £5,000 since starting her career in 2021.
Lambert’s situation illustrates a troubling trend. Each month, she pays around £145 from her salary, but this amount is dwarfed by the interest accruing on her loans, which has exceeded £400 monthly due to high interest rates, peaking at 8%. The total outstanding debt has ballooned since she graduated in 2020, and she is now facing a repayment period that extends for another 25 years.
“I do not believe my studies should have been free,” Lambert stated. “But it is so disheartening to have this level of debt hanging over you with no achievable way to clear it or even reduce it while they add on upwards of £400 a month in interest.”
The financial landscape for nursing students during Lambert’s time at university reveals significant challenges. From 2017 to 2020, there was minimal support available for nursing students. The NHS bursary, which previously covered tuition fees and living costs up to £16,454 annually, was abolished just weeks before Lambert began her course. It wasn’t until September 2020 that the government introduced a partial replacement—a grant of at least £5,000 per year for living expenses.
Lambert’s experience is not unique. Many graduates, including Nadia Whittome, a 29-year-old Labour MP, have voiced similar concerns. Whittome disclosed on social media that she graduated in 2019 with £49,600 in debt. Six years later, her repayments have barely reduced her total. “If MPs are barely making a dent in their student loan debt after six years of repayments, what chance do other graduates have?” she questioned.
The financial situation worsened for borrowers like Lambert when the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced a freeze on the salary threshold for Plan 2 loan repayments for three years. This decision means that as salaries increase, borrowers will end up repaying a larger portion of their income while still accumulating debt.
Student loans in the UK consist of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan, both of which must be repaid. The interest accumulates from the moment the first payment is made. Under Plan 2, which applies to students from England attending university between September 2012 and July 2023, graduates repay 9% of their income over a threshold of £28,470 annually. As of April 2024, the threshold is set to increase to £29,385, but this will remain frozen until 2030.
For Lambert, the impact of these policies is palpable. She attended Edinburgh Napier University and took out loans from the Student Loans Company. Although she studied and now works in Scotland, she accrued interest on her loans at rates between 5.4% and 6.3% during her studies. By the end of November 2025, her debt had reached £77,359, significantly higher than the amounts owed by many students who received NHS bursaries.
“The government has made fair choices to ensure the sustainability of the student finance system,” a representative from the Department for Education stated. They added that the changes would mean a graduate earning £30,000 would only repay about £4 a month in 2027–28.
Graduates in Lambert’s position have limited options for managing their debt. Financial experts caution against making extra repayments as it is unlikely they will clear the debt before it is cancelled after 30 years. Instead, they suggest that only individuals with high earning potential should consider overpaying their loans to minimize accrued interest.
As many in similar situations grapple with the burden of student loans, Lambert maintains hope that the government might reconsider the support offered to those who missed out on financial aid during her studies. She supports the idea of rebranding student loan debt as a graduate tax, asserting, “I don’t know anyone in my situation who is ever going to be able to pay that sort of sum off.”
The ongoing discourse surrounding student loan reform continues to resonate, as graduates face an uncertain financial future with the weight of increasing debt.
