Most voters are concerned about the impact of student debt on young people, but opinions vary widely about what to do with it, new data shows.
A poll of more than 2,000 UK adults by Ipsos published on 31 July says that 72 per cent of respondents are concerned about students ending university with high levels of debt, and 73 per cent are worried about people from poorer backgrounds being put off studying by the cost. Fifty-six per cent were concerned about universities not having enough money to provide quality education.
But only 22 per cent agreed that the £9,250 fee cap in England should be lowered, with another 21 per cent preferring to abolish fees altogether. Nineteen per cent preferred to replace fees with a graduate tax, while 11 per cent advocated the status quo and 6 per cent thought fees should be increased.
“Generation Z” respondents – those born between 1996 and 2012, and therefore including the current cohort of students and prospective undergraduates – were more likely to support reducing fees, with 32 per cent backing among this group. In contrast, only 11 per cent of Gen Z respondents liked the idea of a graduate tax.
