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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Rupert Jones

Student loans: ‘My debt rose £20,000 to £77,000 even though I’m paying’

a female nurse in a hospital ward
One nurse’s student debt soared from £57,000 to £77,000 despite her payments, owing to the interest. Photograph: Sergio Azenha/Alamy

Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 to go to university and began repaying her student loan in 2021 after starting work as an NHS nurse.

Since then she has repaid more than £5,000, typically having about £145 a month taken from her pay packet. But everything she hands over is dwarfed by the £400-plus of interest that is added to her debt every month, thanks to rates that have been as high as 8%.

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