Older people need to understand student loans


Mature students discussing tax

Older people considering heading to university need to be better informed about student loans and the opportunities available to them.

This is the opinion of Professor Les Ebdon, chair of million+, a company that represents a number of the UK’s newest universities, who suggested government ministers need to make sure mature students are not missing out on the chance to further their education, the Guardian reports.

The industry figure claimed an official campaign needs to tell older people how the student loan system can be used to their advantage, adding: “Failure to do so will overshadow the success the government has had in persuading younger applicants that university remains one of the best career moves that they can make.”

Professor Ebdon was making his comments after new figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) – which is managed by the UCAS Board and the Executive at UCAS – revealed 283,680 people had applied for a higher education place from within the UK this year, compared with 306,908 from at the same point 12 months earlier.

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