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Conservatives urge cap on student-loan interest at RPI

8/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Conservative Party urges Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey to cap student-loan interest at the Retail Price Index (RPI).
Conservatives propose scrapping university courses that leave graduates saddled with debt and no job prospects.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott told Burnham to stop steering students into debt-trap degrees, double apprenticeships, and fix loan debts as A-level students await exam results.

History

Historical Context

After the 2010 coalition, Chancellor George Osborne capped tuition at £9,000 and tied loan interest to the Retail Price Index + 1%, a rule raised to RPI + up to 3% in 2012 and to 6.3% for post-2012 students in 2018. Today, Conservative Secretary Laura Trott proposes a pure RPI cap, while Labour’s John Healey urges broader relief amid average debts of £45,000.

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Story summary

Conservative Party urges Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey to cap student-loan interest at the Retail Price Index (RPI).
Conservatives propose scrapping university courses that leave graduates saddled with debt and no job prospects.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott told Burnham to stop steering students into debt-trap degrees, double apprenticeships, and fix loan debts as A-level students await exam results.

1 / 2