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ERIC Number: ED574425
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Apr
Pages: 43
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Degrees of Debt: Funding and Finance for Undergraduates in Anglophone Countries
Kirby, Philip
Sutton Trust
This study compares tuition funding arrangements, debt at graduation, and earnings outcomes for full-time domestic undergraduates in eight Anglophone countries: the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland), United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. According to multiple estimates, the average English student faces the highest levels of graduate debt of these countries. Even compared with average graduates of US private for-profit universities, estimates suggest that English students will graduate with higher average levels of debt. However, the vast majority of English students' study-related debt is held by the state, which has relatively clear repayment conditions compared to other Anglophone countries. Despite this, the fact that English students now face some of the highest tuition fees in the world, and the highest average debts at graduation, should be cause for concern, not least because the number of part-time and mature students enrolling at UK institutions across recent years has dropped precipitously. While full-time undergraduate university enrollment has recovered since the imposition of £9,000 fees in 2012, university needs to remain a viable option for everyone, especially those from poorer backgrounds, who are disproportionately underrepresented across the UK professional landscape. This report provides the rationale for the selection of countries, the key data sources for each, and considerations required to make meaningful comparison. The policy background section offers a brief introduction to student fees and funding internationally, presenting a synthesis of previous research. Three narrative sections address: (1) Student fees, loans, and grants by country; (2) Loan repayment terms and conditions by country; and (3) Debt at graduation, starting salaries, and lifetime returns by country. Contains endnotes.
Sutton Trust. 9th Floor Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP. Tel: +44-20-7802-1660; E-mail: info@suttontrust.com; Web site: http://www.suttontrust.com/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Sutton Trust (England)
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom (Wales); United Kingdom (Northern Ireland); United Kingdom (Scotland); United States; Canada; Australia; New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A