Young Brits Are Furious About Their Student Loans

There’s plenty for young Brits to be angry about. Their rents are soaring, the costs of basics like food and childcare are rising and even recent job losses appear to have been concentrated among young people. But it’s student loans that have been the main focus of their ire lately.
The UK’s student loan system arguably requires a degree to understand. There are multiple plans, depending on when you went to university and where you’re from. These plans come with varying thresholds for when you start paying back, and how much interest is applied. I’m one of the unlucky cohort who went to university between 2012 and 2023 and ended up with a “Plan 2” loan, which accounts for the vast majority of outstanding student loan debt and is, in my view, the most unfair.