ANDY Burnham is being challenged to “back young people” and scrap university tuition fees as new figures showed graduates in England have more than twice the amount of debt than their Scottish counterparts.
Student Loan Company data shows those leaving college or university in Scotland had an average of £21,000 of debt in 2025-26 – up from £18,050 the previous year.
In England, the average loan balance for graduates was £47,730. While this was down from £53,000 in 2024-25, the average debt of graduates in England was still more than double than in Scotland.
Higher debt levels in England come despite Scottish university courses typically being a year longer, with students taking four years for an honours degree.
Hitting out at the Labour Government, SNP MSP Jack Middleton said student debt in England is “spiralling”.
His comments came after the cap on tuition fees for those studying in England increased to £9535 in 2025-26 – the first rise in eight years.
This then rose again to £9790 in 2026-27, with a further increase proposed to £10,050 in 2027-28 – breaking the £10,000 barrier for the first time.
With this coming at the same time as the Prime Minister announced plans to end the triple lock on pensions, Middleton claimed Labour is “going after pensioners and our young people in a pincer movement”.
The Scottish Government has said it is committed to maintaining free tuition for Scottish students at universities north of the Border, and Middleton said the SNP is therefore “shielding our young people from the Westminster debts being handed out south of the border”.
The Aberdeen Central MSP insisted: “No matter someone’s financial situation, they should be able to attend university or college without the barrier of ludicrously high tuition fees.
“In Scotland, the SNP back this principle, it is time for Andy Burnham to back young people and do the same.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are taking decisive action to improve the student finance system and break down barriers to accessing university, starting with improved and clearer guidance for those taking out loans.
“That includes increasing maximum maintenance loans, reintroducing targeted maintenance grants to expand opportunities for people from all backgrounds, and raised the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans for the first time since 2021.
“Higher education funding and student support are devolved matters. In England, we will continue to monitor and improve the student loans system to make it fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers in a financially sustainable way.”
