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Thursday, 31 January, 2002, 12:39 GMT
'My student debt will top �26,000'
lecture hall
Students are facing heavier debts
The prospect of a �26,000 debt does not seem to worry science undergraduate Reece Howe.

He is expecting to land a top job after leaving University College, London, and to shrug off his debts pretty quickly.

He is not in favour of a return to student grants if these have to be paid for by a "hefty unending graduate tax".

He told BBC News Online: "If you include my student loan, my debt is at about �17,000 at the moment and will be �19,500 by the end of this academic year.


I'm intending to have a big salary at the end of it

Reece Howe, science undergraduate
"By the time I graduate I'll be owing about �26,000, because I'm accumulating interest at �30 a month."

Reece is in the third year of a four-year course in astrophysics, having repeated the first year.

He survives on a student loan, topped up with wages from a part-time job which he does for 10 hours a week.

Like roughly 50% of under-graduates, he is exempted from paying tuition fees.

He does not receive financial support from his family - and does not worry about his growing debt.

"I'm not too bothered about the size of my debt, because repayments won't be crippling," he said.

"I'm intending to have a big salary at the end of it, so a hefty unending graduate tax wouldn't be preferable to me, but might to people who are put off university by the large debt."

See also:

12 Nov 01 | Education
Students to march for cash
31 Jan 02 | Health
Medical student debt soars
03 Oct 01 | Education
Student grants back on the agenda
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