Struggling students urged to seek help

With average graduate debt put at £22,000, the National Union of Students (NUS) and financial experts told students to budget and seek advice.

“Students are particularly vulnerable because they have no choice but to get into debt,” Sue Edwards of Citizens Advice told BBC News. “People don’t get education in financial matters and credit is very easy to get.”

With the introduction of top-up fees, students preparing to enter university can expect to pay nearly three times as much as their predecessors and thus incur greater debt.

Some universities are already offering incentives such as lower fees or even cashback deals, but the NUS said in the same report that student numbers were still falling.

However, rather than being discouraged from getting an education due to debt fears, professional financial advice is often freely available to people with money concerns.