Speeches

Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the total value of student loans likely to be written off in each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson

More people than ever before are now able to benefit from higher education. The student loan system ensures that access to finance should not be a barrier to participation in higher education.

For students starting their Higher Education course prior to the 2020-21 academic year the nominal value of student loans that are written off in each of the next 10 years is forecast as follows:

Financial year

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

2024-25

Write-off amount (nominal; £m)

220

140

190

230

310

350

390

450

520

520

Source: BIS Student Loan Repayment Model. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10m.

This table includes loans written-off due to any of the following circumstances: a) if the loan borrower started their Higher Education course prior to 2006-07 academic year and has reached the age of 65; b) the borrower has died; or c) the borrower becomes disabled